


Trolls Sleeping Beauty

by Bluemoondreams



Category: Trolls (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, Alternate Universe - Sleeping Beauty Fusion, Angst, Drama, Drama & Romance, Eventual Romance, Fairy Tale Elements, Fairy Tale Retellings, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Romance, Sleeping Beauty Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-08 04:30:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 26,347
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12247023
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bluemoondreams/pseuds/Bluemoondreams
Summary: Sleeping Beauty with the characters of trolls, though this is an odd telling of the story, but my fairy tales often are. This is a reposting, I wasn't happy with the original.





	1. Chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> Yep it’s the next of the fairy tales I’ve had planned there are some more to come after this. Any way warnings, fluff, angst, darkness, drama, romance and two males in love well eventually. I am writing this fairy tale so it’s going to be a little strange…You have been told. I don’t own these characters I just borrowed them for a bit. I have dyslexia so please be kind on my spelling and grammar.

Sleeping beauty trolls.

Chapter one:

Once upon a time long ago there was a kind and beautiful purple body and blue haired troll Queen named Rosiepuff, she was married to her King a good, strong, but just sparkling blue troll with teal green hair Shimmer. The troll Queen loved her husband with all of heart and the King loved his Queen with all of his heart too and they were truly happy together. There was only one thing in their lives which caused the very much in love royal couple pain and that was that they had no child of their own. After many years of trying for a child they were at long last blessed with a handsome son, he had hair in two tones bright blue at the base which faded to teal green at the top and his skin was bright shade of purple. Seeing his colours, the King and Queen named Creek in an honour of one of the Queens ancestors whom he looked very much like. Rosiepuff hoped that by giving her son this name that it would mean that he would one day find his true love Branch and live happily ever after with him just as the previous Creeks of her family had done.

As was the tradition when there was a royal birth in King Shimmers country three good fairy godmothers were invited to a blessing ceremony to lay their magical blessings upon the child of the King and Queen. Little did the King Shimmer and Queen Rosiepuff know that the evil fairy Darkness was intending to come to the ceremony of the magical birth blessing and cause trouble for the royal couple and their child. The dark fairy wished to do this to them because it was in her nature to be evil, but she also had no intention of lettering another member of this family find his true love Branch and have a happy future with him. 

The day of the child’s blessing dawned bright and clear, all of the kingdom turned out for the celebration of this special day, even in the smallest of villages far from the castle there were parties being held to commemorate this wonderful day. Noble families had come from far and wide across the kingdom to be at the castle to witness this blessing ceremony which had never been seen in their kingdom before now. The royal families from all of the neighbouring kingdoms came to see the child blessed by the fairies and to bring the new prince gifts. Gifts were also sent to the baby prince from kingdoms which were too far away from this one to attend the babies blessing easily, this was done as none of the royals of this countries wish to upset the King and Queen by not sending their child a gift.

Once all of the guests which Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer were expecting had arrived, an expectant silence fell over the throne room and all of the trolls waited in eager anticipation for the first fairy trolls to make her appearance at the ceremony. Sure enough a few moments later the first of the three good fairies to arrive at the christening appeared in shimmering rain of yellow sparkles was a small yellow troll with pale mint green hair and wings to match, this little fairy was dressed in a simple pink dress and had a bow in her very long hair. Quickly she flew over to were the King and Queen sat, she curtsied in mid-air to the royal couple and said in a deep male voice. “I am Smidge, your majesties and I have come to lay my blessing on your child.” After she said this the little yellow troll then fluttered over to the cradle, she pulled a long yellow wand from her hair and circled it over the child as she said. “My gift to you is handsome looks beyond compare and health all your life.” Yellow sparkles left the wand they floated down and were absorbed into the sleeping child as she spoke these words. Once this was done the little yellow fairy troll stepped back from the cradle and stood to one side awaiting the arrival of the next of her fairy kin. The King and Queen felt that this was a wonderful blessing for their son and they hoped that all of the other blessings to follow it would be just as spectacular.

Just a few moments after Smidge had finished casting her blessing over the prince the second fairy godmother to arrive appeared in a bright flash of orange and red pink light. She was a hot pink fairy with orange hair, her wings were also the same colour as her body and hair, this fairy wore multi coloured shorts and top which matched. The fairy godmother made her way over to the throne and just like the fairy before her she curtsied to the King and Queen before saying to them. “I am Suki, your majesties and I have come to lay my blessings upon your child.” After she had said this the red pink fairy made her way over to the cradle, she pulled an orange and red pink wand from her hair and then circled it over the child as she said. “My gift to you shall be great strength, but also great compassion.” As she said this hot pink sparkles left the wand and were also absorbed into the little prince just as the yellow ones before them had been and with her work now done Suki left the side of the cradle to join Smidge, the two fairies shared a friendly smile and a warm greeting. Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer shared a smile, this had been just the kind of blessing they had been hoping for after they had heard the first one.

Only a few moments after Suki had finished blessing the child the third fairy godmother arrived in two combined beams of pink and blue, it some became obvious that this was not one fairy godmother but two and it quickly became clear to all those present that these two trolls were clearly twins as they were attached together by their hair something troll twins liked to do. One of the fairy trolls was a light blue and the other a light pink, but they both had two tone pink and green blue hair and wings to match. The two trolls wore white sparkly clothing which matched them perfectly, the light blue fairy was in a dress and the light pink fairy wore an all in one with leg warmers. They flew over to were the King and Queen sat, they both politely curtsied to the them and the blue one then said. “I am Chenille.”

“And I am Satin.” The other told them and then they spoke together. “We have come to bless your child with our magical gift.” After they said these words they made their way over to the cradle but before they could say a word dark smoke rolled into the room, seeing this happening the good fairies gasped in horror. Before the four good fairies could do anything about what was to come they were all forced back by the dark power entering the room leaving the four fairies helplessly pined to one of the castle walls. All at once a spiral of black smoke reared up from the floor of the throne room, it fell back down towards the floor and then out of the black smoke the evil fairy Darkness appeared.

This dark evil fairy looked nothing like her kind counterparts she had deep purple haired, with sickly green skin, her wings were all black, the evil fairy wore long floating jagged edged black clothes and had a long black staff in her had. Darkness turned to the King and Queen she gave them a cold smile and then said to the royal couple in a voice dripping venom. “I was most upset not to be invited to the blessing of your child King Shimmer and Queen Rosiepuff, but I hold you no ill will for not inviting me and to prove this I Darkness shall now bestow a blessing on the child.” After she said this the dark fairy went over to the cradle she held her staff out over the child and then said. “You shall indeed grow to be handsome and be healthy, you shall be strong and compassionate, but on the evening of your sixteenth birthday you shall prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die!”

As soon as the dark fairy said these words all those at the blessing ceremony gasped in horror, the guards rushed forward intending to capture Darkness, but before they could capture her the evil fairy turned into black smoke and vanished from the throne room only leaving behind nothing but her dark cackles of triumph. As the noise in throne room of the castle settled into concerned and angered murmurings, the twin fairy trolls looked at each other shared a nod, they knew what they were going to do without having to share any words and so they stepped forwards saying. “Do not lose hope Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer we have not given our gifts yet and though we cannot undo what Darkness has done to prince Creek, we can make it easier on you and all of your people. The twins went over to the cradle one stood on one said and one on the other, they brought out their wands, together they waved them over the baby, blue and pink sparkles fell towards the baby and Chenille spoke first. “Prince Creek when you reach sixteen you will prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, but you will not die as the dark magic wishes you too and instead you will sleep for a hundred years this will when true loves kiss will wake you from your sleep.”

After this it was Satin who gave her blessing to the child. “We will not let you be alone little prince, so all the kingdom will sleep with you until you wake and this kingdom as well as it’s people shall be kept safe for all harm of any kind until this time.”

After the twins had cast their magic they drew back from the side of the cradle and put their wands back into their hair, Suki and Smidge joined them complimenting them on how well they had done with their blessing. Meanwhile the Queen had come over to the cradle she scooped her child up into her arms and then said to the fairies with tears in her eyes as King Shimmer put an arm around his wife. “Is their nothing more to be done for my child or our kingdom to keep him safe from the evil magic of Darkness?”

All four of the fairies shook their heads at the Queen and then Suki spoke up. “No Queen Rosiepuff I am afraid not, the magic of Darkness is too strong for us to turn it completely positive, but believe in the fact that his Branch will come for him and let your son live his life happy and content, until the curse comes for him. Know this though even we fairies have heard of the bond which the two souls Creek and Branch share, even some of our furthest fair folk tribes know of it and they honour the bond they have unlike Darkness. Do not fear Queen Rosiepuff the bond between their souls will bring them together as it always does and their love will find a way to win out over the evil magic which was cast here this day.”

Smidge also gave the purple Queen a nod and spoke to her in comforting tones. “You did the right thing giving your son such a powerful name, Darkness has no idea of the power that name contains or of the strength of true love which when the time comes Branch will feel for your son.”

Satin and Chenille looked down at the prince they smiled, they knew that just like the Creek’s before this one that dreams would play a powerful part in his future and they had taken that fact into account when they cast their spell. The twins turned their smile away from the baby, to the clearly sad Queen and as one the two fairies said to her in a gentle voice. “Teach your son the power of dreams and of the blue and purple roses Queen Rosiepuff, this is the last advice we can leave you with do you understand?”

As soon as the twins said this the Queen looked at them with wide teal eyes, she had no idea they knew about the dreams that it was said Branch and Creek had a tendency to share or the magical roses which grew in the castle grounds, but right now Rosiepuff didn’t care how they knew about them, this gave her hope to cling to. So, it was that the Queen gave Satin and Chenille a nod of understanding and then said to the two of them. “I shall make sure to do so.”

With these words from the Queen the four fairies vanished together, they returned to the land of the fairies to wait until the time came when they would be needed by the young prince. When they left Queen Rosiepuff looked down at her son, she held him close to her heart and whispered softly to Creek. “I will make sure you know all about your ancestors, the beastly prince Creek and his handsome saviour Branch, as well as the poisoned prince Branch and his Creek who came from so very far away to save him. I shall tell you all about true love, soul mates and the power of dreams in my family my son.”

Shimmer looked down on his son, he reached out with his other hand, the sparkling troll gently stroked his son’s hair and said to little Creek softly. “I shall make sure you know how to defend yourself and will be ready to be a good King of this country when the time comes.” The King and Queen did consider getting rid of all the spinning wheels and spindles in the Kingdom, but they both knew from the words of the good fairies that this would do nothing to stop the curse coming for their son when he reached sixteen and so in the end Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer didn’t destroy all of the spindles and spinning wheels in the kingdom.


	2. Chapter two

Chapter two:

The years passed the kingdom by, sure enough Creek grew up and as he did so all of the gifts which the good fairies had given the young prince were clear to see, he was a handsome healthy troll, who was strong but compassionate at the same time. The purple troll also showed himself to have other gifts outside those he had been given by the fairies, Creek love to study all kinds of thing, he enjoyed walking in the castle garden, the prince tended the part of the garden were the healing herbs grew and knew how to make many cures for the plants which grew there. 

Since he was very young the prince had listened to the stories of the ancestors which he had been named for, in fact Creek felt sure that he could probably recite the stories of the beastly prince Creek and his handsome saviour Branch, the poisoned prince Branch and his Creek who came from so very far away to save him in his sleep. Still the purple troll knew that his mother and father wanted him to understand were his name came from and that one day his Branch would come for him. There were some days when the young prince wanted to hate the prince he was yet to meet because all the trolls of the kingdom assumed they would meet, instantly fall in love and then marry. There were other days when Creek was curious about what his branch would be like, would he be like the handsome, brave and kind peasant troll from the story of his first ancestor? Or would his Branch be kind, gentle and able to talk to the animals of the forest like the Branch who was poisoned? Would his Branch be a combination of both of them or nothing like either of them? In the end the purple troll decided he would only know the answer to this conundrum when he at last met his Branch.

His mother had taught him all about a gift which came from the very first King Creek of the kingdom which granted all of his heirs since strong dreams which would allow them to find their true love and soul mate when the time came. To be honest the prince found this dream and the occasional ability to talk to animals which occurred in the family rather strange at first, but over time he grew to accept the fact that they just happened and no troll really knew where they had come from or why they happened. His father taught the young prince how to fight, as well as how to play chess, but King Shimmer also made sure to teach his son all of the other skills he would need to run the kingdom when he became King. 

When Creek reached the age of fourteen his mother and father had decided that he was old enough and wise enough to know about what had happened to him on the day of his birth blessing ceremony. So it was that morning Rosiepuff and Shimmer came into his rooms, they sat their son down on one of the chairs in the room and they settled on two more. The purple troll instantly knew from the expressions on his parents faces that this was going to be a very serious conversation between himself and his mother and his father. It was King Shimmer who began what he knew was going to be a hard conversation to have with his young son. “As you know I come from a very different kingdom from your mother and when you were born you mother was kind enough to allow me to hold a birth blessing celebration for you. This is when fairy godmothers come to bless the child with life long gifts, four good fairies came from my home kingdom of the Bright Waves to bless you…The first two gave you wonderful gifts, good looks, health, strength and compassion, before the last two twin fairies could bless you an evil fairy called Darkness appeared and laid a curse on you my son. I have always felt terrible that she was able to curse you all because I wanted to follow a tradition from my home country…” As King shimmer admitted this last part he let out a deep sigh as he did truly did feel that his son’s curse was all his fault.

Creek’s grey blue eyes were wide with horror, the prince felt pure fear enter him as he knew from his studies that the curses of dark fairies were notoriously bad, impossible to escape or counter and so he asked with terror clear in his voice. “What…What is my curse?”

It was his mother who answered this question from her son in a sad but gentle voice. “Darkness said that when you reached your sixteenth birthday you would prick your finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and die…We could not capture her in order to make Darkness change the curse she placed onto you, but the twin fairies well…They did their best to help you.”

The fear and horror the purple troll was feeling increased to a whole new level as his mother told him he was going to die in two years time and he asked his mother in a desperate tone of voice. “Please mother what did the twin fairies manage to do in order to help me?”

“They placed a spell on you, it says that you won’t die, but you will and the whole kingdom will fall asleep for a hundred years. The spell also states it is at the end of this one hundred years your true love will wake you with a kiss and that we will all be protected from harm until this time. It is because of this spell that I wanted you to know about your ancestors and the fact we can meet our soul mates in our dreams.”

“I’ll have to sleep for a hundred years!” Creek exclaimed in horror before he shot out of his chair, and dashed away from his parent’s tears starting to run down over his cheeks as he went. The purple troll didn’t want to sleep for a hundred years, nor did he want to be woken up by some unknown true love. Creek ran out of the castle into the gardens of the castle, without knowing how he had done so the prince somehow found his way to the rose garden, it was the first time the young prince had actually found the part of the garden were the blue and purple roses grew. He looked around at them with tears streaming down his face and then the purple troll without knowing why he did so addressed the flowers. “I don’t want to be woken up by some troll I don’t know! Some mythical Branch! This is horrible! The magic is going to force me to love him when I’ve never even had a chance to know him! I’d rather sleep forever then have to endure that.”

Creek closed his eyes, he went down on his knees in the middle of this part of the garden, he placed his head into his hands and sobbed his heart out totally unaware of the spirit of a troll with teal blue skin and royal blue hair watching him with sad bright teal eyes. Slowly the blue spirt troll turned away, he wiped spectral tears away from his face and then he walked away from Creek vanishing into thin air. The prince eventually ran out of tears, he sept some time just sitting in this part of the garden in silence, then he slowly made the purple troll way back into the castle and to his rooms where he spent the next few days thinking about what was going to happen to him in two years time. 

Creek was extremely angry about his fate for quite some time, which made him hard to deal with for his parents and all of the castle staff. Eventually though the prince realised that being angry with all those around him wasn’t going to get him anywhere so Creek decided to see what else he could do. So it was that the purple troll did as much research as was possible into his situation hoping to find some way around his fate, but all of the information the prince could find about the curses of the dark fairies all said the same thing, which was that no matter what he did to try to escape his fate he would not be able to do so. The books also told him that just as his mother had told him that the good fairies would have done their best to help him with his curse. It was only after the prince had exhausted all of the books and information he could find about his situation that Creek began to accept the fact he could not escape his fate. Just because the purple troll had slowly come to accept his fate that didn’t mean Creek liked what was going to happen to him anymore than when the prince had found out about what was going to happen to him from his parents.

The prince decided that since he was going to spend a hundred years asleep that he would enjoy his life before hand as best as he could. Creek explored the garden but could never find the blue and purple roses once again, the prince continued to tend the healing garden, but he also began to explore the forests around the castle getting to know it well. The prince made sure to learn as much as he could from the castles vast library, so that he could be prepared as was possible for the curse when it came for him at last. The purple troll also started to train his body so it would be ready for whatever physical tasks stood between him and winning both his freedom and happiness.

 

Little did the prince know that the evil fairy Darkness was also planning for the future, her plans included making sure that there were no trolls named Branch or if there were that they didn’t live for very long. The evil fairy was determined that if she couldn’t kill prince Creek then instead she would make sure he and the entire kingdom would stay asleep for as long as was possible if not forever. The evil fairy also had a few more tricks and devious plans up her sleeve, but if she would need these Darkness was not sure so for now she simply placed them to one side so that they would be ready should she need them at some point in the future.

 

The good fairies though aware of what Darkness might try to do to prevent prince Creek from being freed of his sleep, had after much discussion set their own plan into action. Together the four trolls went to a kingdom far to the west, it was an island, here was the realm of the mountain trolls was this kingdom was protected by the powerful Fairy King Diamond and his fair Queen Poppy. The King was a troll with grey sparkling skinned, he had grey hair as well as grey sparkling wings and his Queen was pink skinned and pink haired troll with wide pink wings. As the four good fairies presented themselves to the King and Queen of the western fairy clans they curtsied to them and then Suki as the most powerful of four fairies addressed them politely. “We bring grave news from the east.”

As soon as she said this King Diamond stood up, he was elegantly dressed in long white robes which shimmered like star light, his crown was of long wavering spikes of rainbow crystal glowed in the light and in one hand he held a long staff of silver topped with a glowing diamond shaped like a star. King Diamond approached the four fairies and he addressed Suki with the concern he felt from her words clear in his voice. “Cousin, it must have been bad indeed to bring you to me for aid. What has happened?”

Quickly the red pink fairy troll answered this question from her cousin. “Darkness has cast a terrible curse on a young prince we were chosen to bless, she wished him to die when he pricked his finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel, but Satin and Chenille turned this to a hundred years sleep which could be broken by true loves kiss. I should tell you that the prince’s name is Creek.”

“Creek…” Queen Poppy said coming to her feet to stand by her husband, as she did this her elegant dress of light shimmering blue catching the light as she did so, along with her headdress of blue gem stone flowers. Like her husband the troll fairy Queen also had in her hand was a long pink staff it was topped with a blue gem stone flower. “But that would mean…A Branch will come for him, we all know that those two souls are never parted, as they are soul mates and their true love is so very strong.”

Diamond smiled at his wife and kissed the top of her head before saying to her. “Yes love this is so. I take it you wish us to see to it that when the time comes there will be a Branch for Creek?”

Suki gave her cousin a nod and then said in answer to this question. “Yes, I thought due to the traditions of the mountain trolls if he were crowned King before he came for Creek then Branch would be safer from Darkness.”

The grey sparkling troll smiled at his cousin and gave a nod. “Due to the traditions of the mountain trolls your request makes a lot of sense to me cousin and we are more than willing to help those two souls find each other and their happiness once more.”

“Thank you cousin. We shall leave Branch in the care of you and your wife.” Suki gave Diamond a wide smile as she said this, because she knew that now things had a chance to work out well for those two special souls. Suki knew that due to the fact that the west kingdom was so far from all of the others and so isolated from all the other trolls that the mountain trolls had become nothing more than a legend to their own kind. This knowledge led the red pink fairy to hope that Darkness would also consider this far off kingdom to be nothing more than a legendary place and therefore not bother to investigate the possibility or it’s existence.


	3. Chapter three

Chapter three:

When the morning of Creek’s sixteenth birthday arrived, the birds sang in the trees, the sky was a clear blue and the sun shone down, in short it was a perfect day. The purple troll wished it had been storming instead, because the day as it was really didn’t reflect his mood, that of his parents or the kingdoms today as they all knew that before the sun set today, they would all fall asleep for a hundred years. There were no celebrations being held to mark the birth of the prince this year as no one felt this was the appropriate this year. The mother of the prince had wanted him to were blue today to honour Branch when he came for him, but Creek had rebelled against his mother’s wishes and worn a suite of a deeper shade of purple than his skin, under which was a formal white shirt and for once the prince wore a simple gold crown to mark his rank as a prince of the kingdom. When his mother had noticed he had worn purple instead of blue she hadn’t said anything to him, but Creek could tell he had upset her, which had made the prince feel slightly guilty, but not guilty enough that he would change what he had chosen to ware as he slept for the next hundred years.

His birthday gift from his father for this day had been a new sword, the prince had to admit that the broad sword was a fine weapon, but Creek knew it would be useless against his curse. Looking at the sword just made the purple troll feel depressed, so it was now propped up in one corner of his room where he wouldn’t have to look at it too often. On a chain around his neck hung his gift from his mother this was the two golden crown rings which had been worn by the previous Branch’s and Creek’s when they had married. As upset as the purple troll was about what was to happen to him today, and as much as he hadn’t wanted to accept this gift from his mother Creek, had found himself unable to refuse this gift because he had already upset her once today.

The prince drew out the rings from where they were laying against his chest under the shirt, he looked at them in his hand his eyes lost in thought, the purple troll couldn’t help but notice that despite their age and the fact they had been worn before the two rings looked as though they were new. As Creek gazed at the rings laying in the palm of his hand he was sure he could feel magic coming from them, as he felt this the purple troll became aware of the fact that one of the rings seemed to be glowing with purple light and the other with blue. The purple troll watched this sight with awe filling him, the prince had never seen anything like this in his life before now. Then after a few moments the light faded from the two rings, it left the prince wondering why they had done this just now and when the rings would glow like this again. Creek went to put the rings back under his shirt, but for a reason he couldn’t understand instead of doing this the purple troll released the rings so that they hung on the gold chain around his neck laying against his shirt.

As the day wore on lunch time came to the castle and it was then that King Shimmer and Queen Rosiepuff came to see their son. It was clear to the young prince that both his mother and father were just as upset about what was to happen today as he himself was. The prince’s parents have lunch for all three of them with them, they come across the room and the couple settle it onto one of the tables in the room. Shimmer and Rosiepuff then took it in turns to hug Creek and when this was done the Queen then kissed her son on the cheek, before saying to him. “Branch will find you my son and save you don’t doubt that.”

Not wanting to hurt his mother any more than he already had today by telling her that he didn’t want to be woken up by some troll he didn’t even known Creek kissed her on the cheek and said to the Queen diplomatically. “Yes, I am sure that my true love will wake me with a kiss when my hundred years sleep comes to its end.”

Shimmer sighed, he knew that his son wasn’t looking forward to his cursed sleep and for that the King couldn’t blame him. The family spent time together, the three trolls ate lunch together, then once this was done they talked together about various things, the King, Queen and prince also reminisced and as the evening started to draw in the King addressed his son. “Your mother and I are going to head to our rooms now. Sleep well my son and may you dream well.” After he said this Shimmer hugged his son one last time, the King was desperately holding his sadness in as he did this as he had no wish to cry in front of his son and then the blue sparkling troll quickly left the prince’s room.

Queen Rosiepuff unlike her husband let her tears fall, as they glided soundlessly over her cheeks, gently the purple troll Queen placed a kiss onto her son’s cheek and then said softly but tearfully to Creek. “Be safe Creek.” 

Once she had said these simple words the Queen then left her sons rooms in order to go and join her husband in their rooms so that they could for the next hundred years sleep side by side. When his mother was gone the prince let out a deep sigh, he was starting to wish that today would simply be over and done with. Creek spent the next few hours reading his favourite books, by the time he had done this it was now later in the day. Noticing this the prince put the book to one side, he crossed the room, the purple troll leant on the windowsill, he looked out at the view and sighed, the sun was already starting to get low in the sky now and Creek knew from this sight that he didn’t have much time left now. Part of the prince felt relieved that at last it was almost time for his curse to come to him, but there was also another part of him which was frightened by what was going to happen.

A few moments later the prince felt like something was calling him into action, he turned away from the window and unable to stop himself Creek walked out of his rooms and into the castle. The purple troll climbed the steps which led him up into the tallest tower of the castle, at the top of the tower Creek found a wooden door, he opened it and stepped into the room beyond the door. Standing in the room was a bed with sapphire blue covers, it was not alone as there was also a spinning wheel in the room. Creek instantly noticed that it’s spindle glowed with dark magic and the prince found himself drawn towards it as he had never been drawn to something before now. The purple troll desperately wanted to be able to stop himself from touching the spindle, but the dark magic of his curse had such a firm hold on him that he couldn’t prevent himself from crossing the room, putting out his finger and pricking it on the spindle’s point. The purple troll prince was aware for a brief moment of the pain, of the horrible realisation of what had happened to him, he heard an evil chackling laugh and then as he fell to the floor of the tower room Creek knew no more.

As soon as her curse had come to pass Darkness appeared in a flash of dark light, she stood over the prince smiling down at him with glee. This smile quickly left her face as the dark fairy knew that she didn’t have much time to put one of her plans into action before the good fairies would arrive on the scene and would prevent her from doing what she wished to. So quickly the evil fairy uses the purple and blue roses from the garden to cover the whole castle, she did this knowing that they would protect the castle from trolls trying to rescue the prince, as well as that fact none but a Creek or a Branch would be able to get passed these special roses. Knowing all of this made Darkness feel more certain that the prince would not be easily rescued from his cursed state. Happy that her work here was now done and that she had made the rescue of the prince a lot more difficult the evil fairy once more disappeared in a puff of inky black smoke.

Only a few moments after Darkness had vanished from the tower room the four fairy godmothers appeared in a shower of multi coloured glitter in the same room. It didn’t take them very long to notice the prince lying motionless on the floor, or the spinning wheel and it’s spindle not far from him. The four fairies could tell that Darkness had done something here, but they couldn’t see what it was, so they began to look around to see what the evil fairy had done. Eventually Smidge made her way to the window to see if maybe the change was outside the tower room somewhere, as she looked out of it at the rose buses tangling their way around the castle the little fairy knew that she had found what they had been looking for and Smidge quickly called to the other fairies in a worried tone of voice. “I think you had better all come and look at this!”

Hurriedly the other three fairies made their way over to the window were Smidge was, they looked out of it and as they saw the blue and purple roses their eyes widened with disbelief and Satin said in a low angry voice. “That has to be Darkness’s work.”

“Agree.” Said her twin with a frown of concern on her face.

Suki shook her head slightly, she felt as upset as well as worried as the other fairies did about what Darkness had done, still Suki could see some hope in the situation and so the red pink troll said to the others. “Well at least we know that those flowers will let Branch passed them and no other troll which should help to keep the prince safe. We should make sure that Creek is comfortable for his sleep as well as that everyone in the kingdom is asleep and that from here on Darkness can do no more harm to the kingdom.”

The other fairies all gave the orange haired troll a nod of agreement for these words and then together they set to work Satin and Chenille used their magic to gently lift the prince from the floor and roll him over onto his back. Suki drew the bed sheets down, once she had done this the twins carefully settled Creek down onto the bed and the red pink troll pulled the sheets up over the prince. Smidge drew his hands out from under the sheets and then she clasped them on top of his chest. As they looked at the prince Satin and Chenille couldn’t help but feel something was missing, it was the blue troll who said with sudden inspiration. “Creek should be holding one of the blue roses.” Chenille gave her a nod of agreement which were also echoed by the other fairy trolls, the two twins then used their magic to make one of the blue roses appear, as it floated in the air before the twins Suki gently took hold of it and she then carefully slipped it under Creek’s hands so that the petals of the blue bloom just touched the bottom edges of the two gold crown rings.

With this done the four fairies left the tower room, carefully Smidge closed the door to the room behind them and leaving Creek to his magical sleep. The four fairies made their way back down the tower in silence each of them with their minds on the task ahead of them and the fate of the young prince. When they came to the bottom of the tower Suki turned to the other fairies and addressed them all in a serious voice. “We must make sure that all the kingdom is asleep, it is therefore vital that we check every part of the kingdom.”

They all agreed with these words form Suki, so together the fairies set off, they very carefully checked over the whole kingdom making sure that all of the trolls and the creatures of the kingdom were now asleep. Once the four fairies were happy that all of the kingdom was indeed asleep they came back to the castle together, they stood in the courtyard together and it was Smidge who said. “It is now time that we cast the magic of protection over the kingdom.”

“Yes it is.” Suki said with agreement.

“We are ready to help cast the spell too.” Chenille and Satin said together.

It was at this point that all four fairies drew their wands out, they joined the tips of their wands together and then they chanted their spell of protection together. “We combine our power to protect this kingdom, until the prince is woken from his cursed sleep let all here be kept safe from any harm or evil.” Their magic combined with ease, it billowed out wards, this was followed by a large explosion of bright multi coloured light as the magic of the four good fairies swept out and then settled over the kingdom. They knew that now the whole kingdom would be safe from Darkness and that there was nothing more which they could do to help with the kingdoms situation at least for now. So it was that the four fairies vanished as one, knowing that they were more than ready for the time when they would be needed to help Branch rescue Creek from his curse.

As he slept the purple troll spent a lot of time floating in the darkness, the prince dreamt often as he slept, but so far Creek was yet to dream of Branch. The prince felt some concern that he may never dream of the other troll, but Creek did his best to calm this worry he was feeling by reminding himself that it was early days yet. When he did dream the prince would more often than not dream about walking around the palace garden or of spending time with his mother and father. As more time began to pass Creek began to actually yearn for and look forward to the dream when Branch would finally come to him.


	4. Chapter four

Chapter four:

Slowly time passed by, as it did so the story of the enchanted kingdom and it’s sleeping prince had become known to all of the troll tribes even the far off kingdom of the mountain trolls. When the time came, King Diamond and Queen Poppy had been unsurprised that the wife of King Jade of the mountain trolls Queen Iris had given birth to a son with teal blue skin and royal blue hair. The fairy Queen and King had after a long conversation with Iris and Jade had convinced the King and Queen of the mountain trolls to name their son Branch. Knowing that Darkness was keeping a watch for trolls named Branch, Queen Poppy and King Diamond made sure to protect the young prince from being discovered by the evil fairy.

The blue troll grew up to be a strong troll and with his father’s teaching Branch became skilled with both bows and arrows as well as with the sword. He had a strong sense of wrong and right, as well as this Branch spent a great deal of time out in the wild, which gave him a great many skills which a normal prince would not have. Living on the mountains meant that the blue troll could like all mountain trolls climb extremally well and his hearing was sharper than that of other kinds of trolls. All of his time spent out in the wild and on the mountains meant that Branch spent a lot of time dressed in a simple but functional manor in long deep brown leather trousers, sturdy brown boots, a thick leaf green shirt over which was a brown leather jacket which matched the trousers. Branch’s mother had taught her son all of the traditions of the kingdom, it’s stories, as well as how to rule the kingdom well and justly. When the blue troll reached fifteen it had been King Diamond and Queen Poppy who had told the prince about Creek, his curse as well the stories of the two Creek’s and Branch’s who had come before him, they had also told him about the fact he would meet Creek in his dreams on day and that he would be the one to save him from his cursed sleep.

Branch had been shocked by what the fairy King and Queen had told him, the blue troll hadn’t known what to make of the idea that his soul was joined to another and that he had been born meant for a troll he hadn’t even met yet. The blue troll found it rather strange to think that he was going to meet this troll he was meant for in his dreams and he could only imagine what this experience might actually be like. On the advice of Queen Poppy and King Diamond the prince did his very best to keep an open heart and mind about his future relationship with Creek.

At the age of sixteen Branch came of age, and as was tradition in the mountain kingdom the prince chose himself a new name, or what was called his Kings name. The prince was aware that the kings usually chose gemstone names and after much thought the blue troll had settled on the name Sapphire. Once Branch had chosen this name, his childhood name would only be used by his family, the King and Queen of the fairies and when the time came is consort. After his new name had been announced, the whole kingdom had as was tradition held a huge party which had lasted for several days.

When Branch went to sleep on the night of this birthday he was unsurprised to find himself dreaming, the prince found himself wondering if this would be the dream when he would meet Creek for the first time. Branch realised that he was standing in the courtyard of a beautiful castle the likes of which the blue troll had never seen before in his life. The castle was bathed in the silvery light of the moon making it look almost magical, the sight made the prince smile slightly and he found himself filing him with a mixture of awe and pleasure as he looked at this castle. He was totally unaware of the purple troll coming out of the shadows behind him, Creek stood there looking at this troll, with his royal blue hair and teal blue skin there was really only one troll this could be and he had to admit after waiting for him for so long the purple troll was glad that at long last he was here. “Hello there.” Creek said softly to the other troll.

The blue troll gave a start of surprise, a gasp of shock left Branch and he very quickly turned around to see who had just spoken to him. As soon as the blue prince set eyes on the troll standing behind him, his teal blue eyes went wide, this troll was extremely handsome and if this was Creek, Branch couldn’t help but feel he deserved a troll much better looking than he was. “Hello.” The blue troll finally said in response to this greeting from the other male troll.

“I’m prince Creek.” The purple troll said coming further out into the light, he let his eyes run over the troll in front of him, he was well built and truly very handsome.

As soon as he heard this name, Branch didn’t feel he should be introducing himself to the other troll as Branch but by his other name, the blue troll didn’t understand why he felt this, but he followed this instinct, so he bowed politely and said to Creek. “It is a pleasure to meet you prince Creek, I am prince Sapphire.”

“Sapphire?” The purple prince couldn’t help but ask the blue troll in utter shock, he had not been expecting this name at all, it made Creek feel like the rug had been pulled out from under him and he began to wonder if this was not his Branch, but just a fantasy of the troll he would like to be coming to wake him instead of the troll he didn’t know. “Where are you from?”

“I am from the kingdom of the mountain trolls.” Branch told him with a smile.

Creek sighed, this really had to be just another dream, as all the trolls knew that the kingdom of the mountain trolls was nothing more than a legend and as he realised this the purple troll felt sadness and disappointment filling him. “Oh…” Creek said in a soft sad voice.

As he heard the tone of voice of the other prince Branch frowned at him and then said to Creek. “You sound rather disappointed to hear me say that.”

Sadly, the purple prince said to him. “I…It’s just I’ve been waiting for a certain troll for a long time, I was hoping that you were him, but every troll knows that the mountain troll kingdom is just a legend.”

“I assure you Creek that my home land is not just a legend.” As Branch told him this he gently placed a hand onto his shoulder and squeezed it in a comforting manor.

The eyes of the purple troll went wide as the other male troll did this, never before had any troll be able to touch him in his dreams, this fact led Creek to believe that this troll had somehow found his way into his dreams and this knowledge left the purple prince feeling both relived and confused. “I don’t understand how you are here or why…But I am glad to have your company I’ve been alone for far too long. Sapphire is an unusual name, how did you come by it?”

“Actually, it is a tradition for the royals of the mountain kingdom to be named for stones and gem stones, so I am Sapphire and my father is Jade.”

Creek found this new knowledge of the other troll fascinating, the purple troll had to admit that it felt good to have someone to talk to after so long, Creek found himself hoping whole heartedly that the blue troll would come back to his dreams again and at the same time as he hoped this the purple prince decided that he would try to become friends with Sapphire. “Oh, I see, how fascinating. I was named for an ancestor of mine.”

The blue troll gave him a nod and said to him. “Yes I know the stories of the Beastly prince and the Poisoned prince. You said you were waiting for a troll, which troll is it you are waiting for?”

“Branch…I’m waiting for Branch…” Creek told him in a voice which spoke of the fact that he was not completely happy to be stuck waiting for the other troll.

“You don’t want him to come for you?” Branch asked him as gently as possible.

The purple troll took a few moments to think about the answer to this question. “It’s not that exactly…It’s just hard to know that a troll I’ve never met, that I’ve never had a chance to know will be the one to save me and that I will love.”

“I can see why that wouldn’t be the easiest thing to live with, but I was once told that it is always best to keep an open mind when it comes to such situations.”

“You make a good point…However you being here does make me curious, I wonder how you managed to make your way into my dreams when you are not Branch?” Creek said looking at the other troll standing in front of him curiously.

The blue troll knew he should really tell the other troll the truth, but after hearing the other prince talk about his conflicted feelings towards himself, Branch decided that it would be best for him continue to keep the fact he was in fact the Branch Creek was waiting for to himself for now and therefore give them both a chance to get to know one another better. The blue prince shrugged and said to the other troll. “I don’t know how I got here…But I’m happy to be here and to have met you…I hope this won’t be the mast dream when I will get to see you.”

Creek smiled widely at the other troll and admitted to him without a trace of shame. “I’ll admit that it would be good to have your company in my dreams again.”

The blue troll decided not to ask the other prince why he was waiting , Branch already knew the answer to this question and he didn’t want Creek to become suspicious of him so instead he said to the other troll. “It sounds like you’ve been asleep for a long time.”

“I have…I wish I knew how long it had been since I feel asleep…Being stuck like this means I have no concept of time.”

There was one question Branch knew he could ask without giving anything away and so the blue troll asked. “How long are you supposed to sleep for?”

Creek sighed deeply and then said in a soft sad voice. “According to my curse a hundred years…”  
“A hundred years!” Branch exclaimed with shock, he could hardly believe the purple troll gave him a sad nod, the blue prince shook his head and then said to the other troll. “That’s a long time to spend asleep…” As he said this the blue troll could feel himself starting to wake up and said regretfully to Creek. “I’m going to wake up in a moment.”

The purple troll gave the other troll a sad smile. “I hope I get to see you again soon.”

“So do I…” Slowly the dream faded, Branch woke up in his bed, the blue troll lay in his bed thinking about what had happened that night. It had been eye opening that was for sure, Branch knew that winning Creek wasn’t going to be easy and he wasn’t even sure that it was going to be possible. The mountain prince could understand Creek’s reservations about him because he had some of them about the other prince. Branch decided that the best thing to do was to try to meet the other prince in his dreams again in the hopes that they could get to know each other better and maybe they would fall in love with each other.


	5. Chapter five

Chapter five:

It was several days before Branch found his way to Creek in his dreams once more, this time the blue troll found himself not in the castle courtyard like last time, but in a beautiful garden it was night time just like had been in the last dream. It didn’t take long for Branch to spot the other male troll, he was sitting on the bank of a lake looking into the water with an expression of terrible sadness on his face. Seeing this expression on the face of the purple troll made Branch feel concerned about him, the blue prince walked over, he sat down beside the other troll on the bank of the lake and then said to him in a gentle voice. “What’s the matter Creek?”

The purple prince gave a start of surprise, he turned wide grey blue eyes onto the troll next to him, when he realised it was Sapphire sitting next to him he felt relief and happiness filling him and he blurted out to him. “I was beginning to think I wasn’t going to see you again and the thought was making me feel sad…I didn’t want to be all alone again.”

“Well now you know you don’t need to worry about that because I am right here. It took me a little while to find you again, but I think that is because I had never shared a dream with another troll before and didn’t know what to do in order to find you again. I’m hoping that now I have found you for a second time it will become easier for me from here on. I want you to know that I will try to find you again after this and I will reach you no matter how long it takes me.” The blue troll told him meaning very one of his words as he said them to the other troll.

“Thank you Sapphire, you have no idea how much you telling me all of that means to me.” Creek told him with a relived smile.

The blue troll smiles back at him, it makes him feel truly happy to see the smile of the other troll once more and said gently. “I am glad to see you smiling again.”

“So tell me a little about yourself?” Creek asked wanting to know a little more about the troll who was coming to visit his dreams.

Branch decided to answer this question with a few basic things about himself. “Well because I live in the mountains I climb very well. I love nature, spending time out in the forest and in the wild places makes me happy.”

Creek found his smile growing as Sapphire told him this and said in return. “I like nature to, I used to spend a lot of time in the castle garden and I loved to tend the herb garden. My father taught me to play chess and I love to play, do you play chess?”

“No…Maybe you could teach me…” Branch said more than happy to learn to play a game which the other troll enjoyed and one he hoped that he too could come to enjoy.

“I’d love to teach you to play Sapphire and as this is a dream after all so I should be able to make a chess set appear.” After he said this the purple troll concentrated for a few moments, a half a chess board appeared in front of the two trolls, and as soon as Creek saw this he couldn’t help but laugh.

Branch joined him in his laughter and after a few moments he managed to say with laughter still clear in his voice. “Well that didn’t work well…”

“I’ve never tried to something appear before now.” Creek admitted shyly blushing as he said this.  
“Well I’m sure if you practice enough that you will get it right.” The blue troll assured him regretting his earlier laughter.

Creek chuckled slightly and then said to the other troll. “I hope so, it would be wonderful to play a game of chess once more…Until we started talking about it I hadn’t realised how much I had missed it.”

“You must be missing lots of things.” Branch said to him sympathetically.

The purple troll sighed, he felt sadness sweeping through him again as he thought of all the things he was missing out on while he was under the curse. “Yeah I do. It’s strange, I don’t get hungry, I don’t age…Nothing changes around me as I sleep…I just wait…I think that the worst part for me is that I have no control over any of this accept my dreams.”

“What about the Branch you are waiting for?” The blue troll asked him curiously.

Creek looked up at the moon, even being asked about the troll who was supposed to rescue him made the prince feeling conflicting feelings. “I feel worried about it to be honest…I mean I won’t know him, so will I love him because the magic will make me? Or will we meet in my dreams as we have, so that I will come to know and love him through those meetings?”

Branch could understand the feelings of the other troll, but he wondered if Creek had thought about what the one to rescue him might feel and so after a few moments thought Branch said softly to the other troll. “Have you ever thought he might be just as nervous about this as you? And might have just as many concerns about it all?”

As the blue prince asked him this for the first time Branch became more of a real troll to Creek, a troll with his own thoughts and feelings and it made Creek realise that this spell wasn’t just effecting his life it was effecting the life of a troll who might not even have be born yet. “I never really stopped to think about it like that…You’ve given me something to think about…”

Branch smiled softly at the purple troll as he said. “Sometimes we need another troll to point things out to us. The way you were thinking about him is understandable, after all until now Branch to you has been nothing more than a concept, a dim and distant figure who would appear at some point in your future. Now though you can start to think of him as a troll who will live, breath, think and feel just as you do and hopefully that will help you come to terms with the role he will play in your life.” After he had spoken the blue prince realised his was fading, he gave Creek a sad smile and spoke to him once more. “Goodbye Creek I will see you again soon.”

“Yes goodbye, I hope you come back soon.” Creek told him his eyes full of hope and his voice full of wistful longing.

This was the last thing Branch heard before he woke up, as he lay in bed the blue troll decided it was time he started making his way to Creek’s home country, Branch knew that it was a long way away from his home. The prince got up, got himself ready for the day ahead and then went to see his parents to talk to them about the journey he knew he needed to go on. The blue troll found his parents in their rooms in discussion with King Diamond and Queen Poppy, when he came into the room all four of them looked up at him, Branch smiled at them and his mother said to him. “Can we help you my son?”

“I hope I am not disturbing you all.” He said to them politely.

“No not at all.” King Jade assured his son. “So please what is it Branch?”

The blue troll prince took a deep breath, then explained what had been happening to him lately and then once he had done this he addressed them all in a serious voice. “I’ve shared dreams with prince Creek twice now…I think I need to make my journey to his kingdom to try and set him free of the curse.”

Diamond and Poppy shared a look, they had known just as the prince’s mother and father had that the time would come soon, as they had expected this journey to happen plans had already been put into place and so the King of the fairies spoke to the prince. “If you feel it’s time to set off to rescue Creek then we will come with you. We think you may need our help on your journey and with the magic outside of the curse which you may come across in your travels.”

“Thank you King Diamond, Queen Poppy, I would be glad of your help and company on my journey.” Branch told them with a grateful smile. “Father, may I take the magical sword of our family?”

King Jade gave his son a nod and then said to him. “Come with me.”

The father and son made their way to the volt, the sword Branch had always been told was the family sword was on display on the wall of the room, the King looked down to his son and said softly. “Your mother and I didn’t want to name you Branch…There was already an ancestor of mine named that. His story is old but painful…We didn’t want you to suffer pain as Branch had, but if you need his sword then I am sure he would wish you to take it.”

“Father what happened to the other Branch?” The blue troll asked softly.

Jade sighed deeply. “I was born from King Branch’s brother Onyx, it’s why we all take stones names when we come of age, a mark of respect for him. Come I’ll show you.” The King led his son through a hidden door in the volt to part of the castle much older than the rest and into what looked to be a forest clearing. In the centre of it lay a troll who looked exactly like him.

“Is that…?”

“It is.” The King assured him. “The real sword lays at his side.”

Branch wanted to ask how long the King Branch had been like this and what exactly his spell was, but the blue prince felt when the time was right his father would tell him. The blue troll walked over to where Branch lay, he knelt down at his side, he placed his hands to the sword and then addressed the other troll. “I don’t know what happened to you and I don’t know why you are like this, but I am sure that one day your Creek will come for you.” When he said this a tear escaped the other blue troll, Branch placed a hand on top of his clasped ones and said softly. “Don’t lose hope.”

A few moments after this the blue troll heard a male voice which spoke inside his head it spoke in old fashioned language. “Young one of my line, who was given my name. Take my sword and win your Creek. I would not have you share my fate.” 

With the permission given by the King Branch reached out and took the sword from its resting place and sheathed it at his waist. “Thank you my ancestor.”

So it was that with this done the prince and the King and Queen of the fairies prepared for their long journey to the far off kingdom of the sleeping prince. Branch had to admit he felt better going on his journey with Poppy and Diamond with him, he knew that they would protect him if they needed to and that the King and Queen of the fairies would keep their word to help him with any magic they came across which was not the curse. The blue troll made sure to pack everything he felt he needed and when the three trolls felt they were ready they set off on their journey. As they travelled along the three had become friends, to the point where Branch called the King and Queen of the fairies Diamond and Poppy at their insistence and they in turn had officially acknowledged him as their godson which granted him an even greater protection than normal from the two fairy monarchs.

Every night when they made camp Branch found himself sharing more and more dreams with Creek, slowly but surely, they grew to know each other and a friendship had formed between the two male trolls. The purple troll taught the other prince how to play chess, Branch came to play the game well and the two of them enjoyed playing this game together. They often walked through the dream gardens of the purple prince talking about many things, they did this so often that Branch grew to know these gardens as well as his own home mountains. 

It was during one of their walks through the gardens that the blue troll said to the purple. “I should have told you this sooner, but I didn’t feel ready…”

“Sapphire, what is it you are worrying me.” Creek said to the other prince with concern clear in his voice.

Branch swallowed hard, he felt worried, but he found enough of his bravery from somewhere to say to the purple troll. “I decided to leave my kingdom and come to yours…I wanted to try and wake you from your cursed sleep.”

The purple prince felt utterly shocked as the other troll told him this and said to him. “Sapphire, that is wonderfully kind of you, but only the kiss of true love can wake me from my sleep.”

This knowledge made defeat flare in the blue troll for a few moments, but he pushed it to one side, deciding instead to hope that by the time he reached Creek’s kingdom he would be truly in love with the other prince, and therefore able to wake the purple troll so he said determinedly to the other prince. “I would still like to see if I am able to help you Creek.”

Creek was surprised by the determination of the blue troll and asked him in clear shock. “Are you sure that you want to come all the way to my kingdom only to find out that you can do nothing to help me?”

“I am very sure.” Branch assured the other male troll with a gentle smile after a few moments of silence he then said to Creek. “I cannot help but feel I would find it very easy to fall in love with you Creek” After he said this the blue troll carefully took the purple prince’s hand into his, he turned to face Creek and then cupped his cheek with his other hand.

The purple troll blushed brightly as the other prince did this, he leant into Branch’s hand allowing himself to enjoy the blue troll touching him like this. Creek had never felt like this in his life before now, he felt warm, happy and totally safe and he never wanted to lose these feelings. As he felt this the purple troll also realised that never wanted to lose the touch of the other troll either and Creek couldn’t really understand why he felt this way, but at the same time it felt totally natural to have this feeling. Slowly the blue troll removed his hand from the cheek of the other prince, as soon as he did this Creek wanted to grab his hand and place back it on his cheek again. The prince just about managed not to act on this strange desire this time, but the purple troll felt sure that if Sapphire touched him like this again that he wouldn’t be able to stop himself from reacting to it and he said softly to the other prince. “Sapphire…There is something very special about you.”

“Thank you…Creek, never doubt that you are special too. You deserve to be rescued from your curse and I want to try to do so.” Branch told him seriously, as he looked at the other troll the blue troll couldn’t help, but feel that this troll was a handsome troll both on the outside and the inside. Realising this made him feel glad that he had met this other troll and at the same time he felt very guilty for hiding from him that he was Branch.

The morning after this dream the blue troll decided to talk to Diamond and Poppy about what had been happening in his dreams, the prince settled by their camp fire and addressed the two fairy trolls. “You know I have been meeting Creek in my dreams…He doesn’t know I am Branch…I gave him my King name…He…I…Ugh…Creek thinks the magic of his curse is going to force him to love Branch when he doesn’t even know him.” After he said this the prince let out a sigh and then stared into the fire broodily.

The King and Queen of the fairies looked at each other, they both smiled at Branch, the two of them sat on each side of the blue troll and Poppy spoke to him in a reassuring voice. “Branch that’s not how it works.”

As she said this, surprise filled the blue troll, he turned wide shocked eyes onto the fairy Queen and asked in a confused and stunned whisper. “It’s not?”

With a smile for the prince who Poppy had to come to love like a son the pink fairy troll shook her head at him and then said to him. “No dear one, it’s your love and your heart that matters. True love is the most powerful of all magical gifts there is, this is because there are very few hearts which can hold such power and you were born with a heart and soul which carries it and always will.” As she said this Poppy lay a hand on his chest over his heart and, she pinned his teal blue eyes with her pink and said softly but seriously. “In here lies a power that no dark curse can stand against and Darkness knows that, which is why we came with you.”

“But…But what if when he finds out I am Branch Creek hates me?” Branch asked Poppy his voice shaking slightly as he voiced his innermost fear to the two fairies.

Gently Poppy took her hand away from his chest, Diamond placed a hand onto his arm and said. “Then we shall take care of you Branch.”

“Take care of me?” The blue troll asked the fairy King deeply confused.

“Yes…If when you give your true love to Creek and Creek doesn’t want you because you had hidden who you are from him, then you’d be entitled to enchantments and protection from us as your fairy godparents…We’d literally have no choice at that point but to grant whatever enchantments you ask of us.” The glittering male fairy told him his voice deeply serious.

“I see.” Branch said thoughtfully, now that he knew he had this option should Creek reject him for hiding the fact that he was Branch it gave the blue troll a lot to think about before he tried waking the other troll with his kiss. The prince was very well aware of the fact that the magic of the King and Queen of the fairies was very strong, so he knew that whatever spells he asked them to cast on him would be very strong and hard to break. Knowing this Branch knew that he had to think long and hard about what he wanted to happen to him should Creek reject him.


	6. Chapter six

Chapter six:

After this each night when Branch met Creek they had became closer and closer, the blue troll had found himself slowly but surely falling in love with the other prince. These feelings of love made Branch wanted to tell Creek he loved him and the truth of who he was, but the blue troll still felt that telling the purple troll who he was would be a very bad idea until he knew if the purple troll’s thoughts about Branch had started to change. It was during their tenth dream since their first meeting that the blue troll turned to the purple, as he looked at the handsome troll Branch felt himself filling with warmth, his heart fluttered with love. It was these feelings that made him decided to make his confession of love to Creek and so Branch said as they walked side by side through the garden of the castle under the moon together. “I have to tell you Creek…I’m in love with you.”

“Sapphire…I had no idea you were falling in love with me.” The purple troll told him with honesty, his eyes wide with wonder and he felt his heart beating wildly in his chest after hearing those words come from the handsome troll by hid side. 

With utter honesty Branch said to him softly. “I hope that my love will be strong enough to wake you from your curse.”

As the blue prince said this to him so honestly, Creek felt concern for the other troll and the dangers he might face to reach him filling him and so he said to Sapphire. “But Sapphire, you’re not Branch…Which might mean you won’t be able to help me.”

Slowly Branch smiled at the other troll, he kissed him gently on the forehead and then said to the purple troll gently. “But you could be wrong, because I love you I might be able to free you from this curse and I am willing to take that chance Creek.” The blue troll gave him a quick kiss on the lips, then pulled back and smiled at the other troll one last time, kissing Creek had made him feel wonderful, and judging by the expression of delighted surprise on the face of the purple troll he had enjoyed their all to brief kiss to. Seeing that expression on Creek’s face made the blue troll wanted to kiss him all over again, but Branch knew he would wake up soon and sure enough before the other troll could say anything to him he had woken up to a new day.

Towards the end of this day after this dream the blue troll with Poppy and Diamond at his side came across a path which led through the forest and they followed it to a beautiful iron work gate. Branch opened the gate, he walked into the garden beyond the gate the fairy King and Queen followed close behind him. As soon as Branch was beyond the gate he knew with one quick look around him where he was and froze before saying ever so softly to Poppy and Diamond. “This garden…This is the one from the dreams…Which means that the castle should be this way.” After he said this the blue prince led them through the castle garden towards where he knew the castle would be and soon enough the castle came into view. It was a tall elegant structure, the castle was so covered in a thick tangled rosebush with blue and purple blooms that only one golden tipped tower could be seen above the rosebush, the sight of it made Branch catch his breath and say in awed and concerned tones. “Wow what a huge rosebush…I can’t help but think that Creek is in the room at the top of the tower.”

“That would make a lot of sense as it is the only part of the castle that the dark magic hasn’t managed to touch.” Diamond said softly looking up at the tower.

As the three trolls came into the courtyard they looked up at the castle, it was clearly very tall and as he looked up at that one tower which could be seen above the roses and as he did so the blue troll ask Poppy and Diamond. “How do we get passed the roses?”

It was the pink fairy troll who answered the question saying to her godson. “They won’t harm us or you, because you are Branch.”

“I see, how fascinating…” Branch said thoughtfully as he looked at the rosebush again.

Diamond smiled at his godson and then said. “The roses are magical, they have been ever since the enchantment was placed on the first King Creek of this castle.”

“I have to admit the roses are so beautiful, I’ve never seen roses in purple and blue before.” Branch said gently standing in the courtyard for a few moments just admiring these unusual roses and then he set off towards the steps which lead into castle once more.

Before Branch could get any closer to the castles steps, a dark mist rolled in it billowed up and from it stepped the evil fairy. Darkness levelled her staff at the blue troll, she glared at him and then said to the blue troll in a low and threatening voice. “Turn back now or I shall curse you.” As soon as they saw the evil fairy Poppy and Diamond lent their aid to Branch by giving him a magical shield to help protect him from the dark magic of the other fairy and to go with the magical sword of his ancestor. The prince glared the dark fairy, he drew his sword and carefully advanced on the fairy, she laughed cruelly at him and said in a sneering voice. “That weapon will have no effect on me!” Darkness sent a wave of dark magic towards Branch, the blue troll swung the shield forward, it caught the dark magic and absorbed it, then a blue light came forward from the sword and the blue prince swung the sword out at the evil fairy sending an arc of blue magic towards her.

Darkness quickly threw up a magical shield which shook as it absorbed the blue magic of the prince, she took a step back from the blue troll, the evil fairies eyes went wide, she had never seen something like this sword before now and it frightened her. Branch gave her a small knowing smile, he stepped towards the fairy, the sword glowing with blue light once more, he had no intention of telling her about one of his family’s greatest treasures, but the prince mentally thanked his ancestor for his gift. The dark fair swept black magic towards Branch again, he caught some of it with his shield, the blue troll then slashed the rest of the dark magic in half and the light in the sword grew as the determination in the blue troll became stronger. 

The prince moved towards Darkness once more, who in response to this by drawing up all of her dark magic and casting it towards Branch. The blue prince thrust the magical blade forward and he used it to catch hold of the dark magic coming towards him. After this attack from the dark fairy the blue troll concentrated on all of the power of the blade and the power within him, which caused the grate flame of dark magic which had surrounded the blade to turn blue. Branch then pointed the blade towards Darkness, as he did this the blue magic swept forward from the blade into the evil fairy. When the blue fire hit the dark fairy she howled in pain, before dissolving into nothing but dust which was swept away by the wind.

Poppy and Diamond looked around the area and then the fairy King said to the blue troll. “She is gone at long last and won’t be able to hurt any troll ever again thanks to you Branch.”

After Diamond said this to him Branch sheathed the sword at his waist, then the prince approached the rosebush and the blue roses started to glow as soon as he did so. Encouraged by this reaction from the magical flowers the blue troll reached out, he gently cupped one of the purple roses and it came away in his hand. It started to glow in his finger, without really understanding why he did so the blue troll placed it into his hair and then he moved closer to the rosebush. As he did this the flowers and limbs of the rosebush quickly moved out of his way, Poppy and Diamond followed closely behind the blue troll as he made his way through the rosebush and eventually together they made their way into the castle together itself.

Slowly but surely the three trolls made their way through the castle, Branch slowly but surely became used to seeing all of the trolls around the castle sleeping. Eventually they came to the bottom of the tower stairs, Branch looked up the stairs of the tower and then said to Poppy and Diamond in a soft voice. “I’d like to be alone when I try to wake Creek.”

“Of course.” Poppy said softly to the prince. 

“Good luck Branch.” Diamond told him with sincerity.

With a thankful smile for the two fairies Branch made his way up the tower steps, when he reached the wooden door at the top of the stairs the blue troll took a few moments to gather himself together before he opened the door into the tower room and then stepped inside. The troll who lay on the bed ahead of him made Branch catch his breath, he was the most handsome troll he had ever seen and as the blue troll walked over to the bed he felt joy and love filling him. The blue prince just hope that the other troll would have it in his heart to forgive him for hiding the fact that he was Branch from him.

The blue troll took a deep breath, let it back out slowly, he walked to the side of the bed, lent over the other troll and then he gently kissed Creek on the lips. A few moments after he did this the purple troll under him started to stir from his cursed sleep and Branch pulled back watching him wake with happiness. Slowly the purple prince opened his grey blue eyes, as looked at the troll above him his eyes widened at the sight of the blue troll Creek knew from his dreams at his bedside and said in happy surprise. “Sapphire, you came and you woke me. That means you are my true love.”

Branch gulped hard and then said to the other troll. “Creek I have to tell you something…My birth name is Branch.”

“What?” The purple troll asked him in utter shock.

The blue prince explained what he had said to him and how naming worked in the mountains. “In the mountains, a child is give a name at birth and then that troll chooses a new name at the age of sixteen it’s a rite of passage into adult hood. I was given the name Branch at birth, when I became an adult I chose the name Sapphire, as I am royal it is what is also called my King’s name and is the name I will rule the kingdom under. Only those closet to me can still call me Branch, which would be my father, my mother, my god parents and my consort, which I would hope would be you.”

“You lied to me…” Creek said to him the hurt in his voice because of the lie of the other troll.

Branch looked down at the floor of the tower as these words made shame flood through him. “In a way yes I did…You were so worried about what meeting Branch would mean for you…I wanted us to have a chance to know each other better that was all…”

“That doesn’t make what you did better!” Creek yelled at him sitting up in the bed and glaring at him angrily.

“I know and I’m sorry…” Branch said softly meaning these simple words.

“Sorry!” Creek screamed at him. “I can’t believe you lied to me! Get out! Go!”

Branch felt a pain filling him it was a pain the likes of which he had never felt before, he was sure his heart was breaking, the blue prince turned away from Creek and he fled back down the stairs of the tower. As Branch stumbled down the last few steps of the tower, Poppy and Diamond caught him before he could fall to the floor. The blue troll looked up at the two fairies, tears rolled down his face, they instantly knew something had gone terribly wrong and they prayed he would not ask them for the same enchantment which still held his ancestor. After a few moments to catch his breath once more the blue troll managed to say to his fairy godparents. “I just want to go home…I want to forget I ever came here or fell in love with Creek please!”

“Very well Branch it shall be so.” Poppy said softly as she hugged the blue prince close to her, she could feel his heart breaking and gave her much loved husband a frightened look. Seeing his wife’s concern for the prince the fairy King gently placed a hand onto the head of the blue troll, this was the last thing Branch was aware of before darkness swept in and swallowed him up.


	7. Chapter seven

Chapter seven:

The purple troll was unaware of what had happened to Branch, he made his way down the tower to find him gone just as he had told him to be, as soon as he realised the other troll really was gone Creek found himself suddenly regretting his angry words from earlier. Before the prince could think about doing anything about finding out where Branch might have gone, he was being swept up into a warm hug by his mother and father. “Oh Creek, thank goodness we are all awake at last!” Queen Rosiepuff said to him with happiness.

“But where is the one who woke you with their true love?” His father asked with clear confusion as he looked around them for the troll who saved his son from his curse.

Creek blushed brightly as his father asked him this question, he looked down at the floor, as he felt confliction feelings of sadness, confusion and shame swept through him as he said to Shimmer. “I told him to go and Branch is gone…”

Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer shared a look of concern and then Iris asked her clearly confused and upset son as gently as possible. “Why did you tell him to go Creek?”

“I told him to go because he lied to me mother, Branch told me his name was Sapphire…Which it is, but isn’t…Ugh it’s all so stupidly complicated.” Creek said his aggravation at the situation clear in his voice as he spoke to his mother.

His explanation of the situation he had found himself in had made the Queen and King feel deeply confused, so they took their son up to their rooms in the castle, Iris and Shimmer settled him on a comfortable chair there and Shimmer then said to his son. “I think Creek that you had best start at the beginning.”

So Creek did, he told his mother and father all about the meetings he had shared with Branch in his dreams, about the other troll waking him from his curse and then telling him all about how naming worked in the mountains. By the time the purple troll had finished explaining everything to his mother and father, they had to admit it was quiet the strange situation, they understood their sons anger towards Branch, but at the same time the King and Queen also understood why the other prince had hidden who he was from Creek. 

A short silence followed after all of this explaining by Creek and eventually it was the prince’s mother who found her voice first and said to him very gently seeking to make sure she had understood everything her son had told her husband and herself correctly. “So Branch comes from the legendary mountain trolls…and all he did was use his adult name rather than tell you his childhood name? Which to be fair to him Sapphire probably would have done with any troll he met and didn’t know.”

“Well yes.” Creek admitted in a soft whisper.

The Queen gave a nod and then spoke to her son again. “I can understand why you are upset by what he did my son, but he didn’t know you at first…So he hid his childhood name to give himself and you a chance to know each other. I have to ask my son, before Sapphire told you he was given the birth name of Branch did you care for him as anything more than a friend?”

The purple troll sighed and placed his head into his hands as he confessed to Rosiepuff. “I don’t know mother…I’m just so confused by everything right now.”

After he said this it was the King Shimmer who spoke to Creek this time. “If that is the way you truly feel at his time, then we shall leave this subject alone for now as you clearly have a lot to think about and some very important decisions to be making my son. Knowing this your mother and I promise that we will give you time to let your thoughts and feelings about everything which has happened settle. I think it would be wise to throw a kingdom wide to celebrate your waking.”

“If you think it is wise for us to celebrate my waking father then I think that we should do as you suggest.” Creek said with a small smile for his father.

The King and Queen set about arranging the celebration for their sons waking, the prince took part in the celebrations, but his thoughts were often on Branch and all which had happened between them during the time they had known each other. Creek found that at this time he was still very confused and conflicted over what he thought of Branch and what he felt for the other troll. The purple troll just hoped that given time the fog of confusion would be lifted and he would come to some sort of conclusion, but Creek had a funny feeling that this would not happen to him for some time yet.

 

Slowly Branch opened his eyes, his body felt really heavy, the blue troll felt as though he had just woken up from a long dream, but Branch found that he couldn’t remember what the dream had been about. As the blue troll looked around the room, he found his mother sitting beside his bed with an expression of concern on her face and sitting beside her was Queen Poppy who also looked worried. As they noticed that the bright teal eyes of the blue troll had opened, they both let out a sigh of relief and Queen Iris said to him gently with traces of concern in his voice. “Thank goodness you are awake son. You had us all so worried.”

The blue troll frowned at the two of them, his head felt as though it was full of fluff and he then asked them with concern and confusion clear in his voice. “What happened to me? I can’t remember what happened…I feel like I’ve forgotten something important.”

“Don’t tax yourself Branch, you have been very ill…In fact it has been almost a month since you became ill.” The Queen of the fairies told him gently, she gently took one of her godson’s pale blue hands into hers and gave it a comforting squeeze.

“Queen Poppy…My mother and father must have been really concerned about me to send for you to come and check on me.” Branch said in a very tried voice.

“Please call me Poppy Branch.” The Queen of the fairies said to the prince gently but firmly.

“Poppy…So tired…” The blue troll realised he was feeling weak as well as tired, so he knew that he had clearly been extremely unwell.

Iris gently stroked her son’s hair and said with a soft smile. “Rest my son. Rest and get strong again.”

Branch gave his mother a small nod, the blue troll closed his eyes, a dreamless sleep quickly came to the tried and weak prince. The two Queens shared a relived smile, as it appeared the prince was going to be fine after his long sleep, and it was also very clear to them that Branch did not remember anything of what had happened to him. They were both glad that Branch had forgotten his terrible experience with Creek as none of them had wanted him to suffer the same fate as his predecessor. The King and Queen of the mountains had made sure to return the magical sword of the family to the side of the other Branch so that it wouldn’t somehow accidently wake up any of the prince’s memories. Slowly but surely over the next few days and weeks the prince grew stronger, a lot of the time Branch still felt as though there was something he was forgetting, but slowly this feeling also faded and to the blue troll his illness became a distant memory.

Eventually life for Branch went back to normal, but there was one small change to his life, one which pleased the blue troll greatly, this was that Poppy and Diamond insisting he call them by their first names. The King and Queen of the fairies had also formally adopted him as their godson and the three trolls had formed a friendship which Branch wouldn’t trade for anything else. Still every so often the prince felt sure he was missing some troll and that his heart was hurting for some troll, but Branch could never think of which troll these feelings were for and those feelings would always fade from his mind and heart quickly.

Once the blue troll had been fully recovered from his illness for a month, his mother, father and his fairy godparents approached him for what he could tell was going to be a serious conversation. The five trolls sat together in the castle garden where they knew their conversation could be held in private. Once all five of them were settled on the garden benches the King turned to Branch and addressed his son in an extremely serious voice. “My son your mother and I would like you to think about choosing a troll to share your life with. I would like to retire my throne to you soon and I would feel much more comfortable doing so if you had a troll to share the responsibility of ruling the country with.”

Branch couldn’t say that he was surprised by his father’s words, it was not uncommon for the monarchs of the mountains to retire from the throne before they became too old to rule the kingdom well and he knew that his father had wanted to retire for some while now. The blue troll could understand why his father wanted him to marry before he became King, there were lots of responsibilities to being a King of the mountain trolls and having a troll to share them with would be a good idea. It wasn’t that simple for the prince though as there had never been a troll who he had felt love for and Branch refused to marry without love. “Father I understand why you wish me to marry…I have just never found a troll who I have been able to think of marrying.”

Jade sighed he was concerned about his son coming to the throne without a troll to help him rule and he was also worried that his son might never fully recover from what had happened to him. The King and Queen of the fairies had warned both his wife and himself that even though Branch had forgotten Creek his heart might not have and there for there was a possibility that the prince might find it very difficult to give his heart to a troll for a second time. “Branch I am in no rush for you to marry, I just hoped you would have found a troll to rule with…But if you really feel that you are not ready to find a troll to marry yet, then I shall stand aside from the throne before you marry. I just hope that in time you will find a troll you can share your life with.”

Branch smiled at his father, he felt grateful that his father understood that how he felt, but this wonderful feeling was soon eclipsed as the blue troll also started to feel nervous about the fact that he would soon become the King of the mountain trolls. “I am sure I shall find a troll I can love and marry eventually. Are you sure you that you want to hand the throne to me father?”

“Yes my son I am sure. I know that you are ready.” As the King said this, he lay a hand on his son’s shoulder and smiled softly at him as he said in a sure voice. “You can rule the kingdom Branch never doubt that my son.”

The blue troll felt glad that his father thought he was ready, but at the same time Branch hoped that his father would not want him to take over ruling the country just yet and so he said to his father trying to hide his fear from him. “Thank you father, I am glad that you feel I am ready to be King. When were you thinking of handing the throne over to me?”

King Jade could tell that his son despite trying to sound confident was concerned about taking over from him as King of the mountains strait away and so he said comfortingly to Branch. “I wasn’t planning to step down fully for the next year, tradition dictates I must leave the throne when the first spring flower blooms. However during the time before this happens I will slowly hand all of the responsibilities of the kingdom over to you my son, by doing so I hope that when the spring arrives you will be ready to take my place.”

Branch gave his father a nod of agreement, this sounded like a sound course of action, the blue troll hoped that starting to taking his father’s roll in the kingdom would give him something to focus on rather than these feelings that he was missing something important from his life since his illness. So it was that Branch began to take on the responsibilities of his father ready for when the next spring came to the mountains and he would take over as King.


	8. Chapter eight

Chapter eight:

It had taken Creek weeks to come to terms with everything that had happened during his cursing, when he had done so the purple troll had begun to look back on everything which had happened between Branch and himself with a fresh perspective. Slowly the prince had come to see that the other royal troll had indeed had a good reason to hide he was Branch from him and his deception had allowed them time to know each other. As the purple troll thought about the other prince the image of his face when he had told him to go flashed into Creek’s memory, he had looked so hurt and the purple troll felt sure that he had seen tears forming in the eyes of the other troll before he had fled the tower room. 

The more time that Creek spent thinking about Branch the more that the prince realised he missed the other troll’s presence in his life, his voice, his smile…In fact if he was honest with himself the purple troll missed everything about Branch. Creek found that there was constant a pain in his heart which always grew sharper whenever he thought about the other prince and it was this horrible ache inside him which made the purple troll realise that he was in love with Branch. As soon as Creek came to this understanding of his feelings he felt like an absolute fool, sadness swept through him because he had hurt the troll he loved and lost the blue troll from his life perhaps forever.

That night when Creek went to sleep he desperately searched for Branch in his dreams, but no matter how hard he looked there was nothing, not even the slightest trace of the blue troll to be found anywhere. The purple troll spent night after night searching for Branch, but he couldn’t find anything, this fact terrified Creek as nothing ever had before now, not even his curse had scared him like this, because deep down the purple prince knew something was wrong with his true love, very wrong and it was all his fault.

Creek refused to give up on finding Branch, and at last his determination was rewarded one night when he found a thin thread of blue light in his dreams. As soon as the purple troll noticed it, he quickly grabbed hold of it, he started to carefully follow the slender thread and it led him through darkness the likes of which Creek had never seen even in his dreams before now. Eventually a blue light appeared before him, as the purple troll grew closer to it he could see Branch’s dream before him, the blue troll was sitting in a garden, he was sitting in front what appeared to be an older version of himself who lay perfectly still behind him. The blue prince seemed unaware of the other troll laying behind him, Creek watched with wide eyes as this still troll suddenly sat up, the older blue troll lay his hands on the shoulders of the younger troll and said something which Creek couldn’t hear to him.

The purple troll moved closer to the dream, as he did so Creek heard the older troll say softly. “Your Creek will come to you someday Branch, just as mine will.”

“Creek…” The younger Branch said softly, before he turned to face the other troll and said sadly. “I don’t have a Creek King Branch…I don’t think I ever will. Besides unlike you I am no longer Branch, I am Sapphire now. Soon I’ll be King…I should really think about choosing one of the trolls who has come seeking to marry me to wed, but my heart…I don’t know what is wrong with it but…”

“But you feel as though part of it is missing?” The King asked the younger troll perceptively.

“Yes…I know like you I am part of a half…But there is no Creek out there for me and if I am to escape what happened to you I have to try to give my heart to another.”

Hearing those words made Creek feel absolute terror rear up inside him and they caused him to try to make his way into the dream of the other male troll, but he found that as soon as he tried to do this there was a huge flash of magic which was a combination of rainbow sparkles and pink light. It was only when this happened that the purple troll realised that the dreams of the other troll were being protected by a very strong magic. Desperately Creek pushed against the magic, but it didn’t give in the slightest, this fact caused the purple prince to realise that this magic had probably been here to keep him out, which made him feel even more utterly horrible about himself than he had before. 

Then suddenly the purple troll remembered what Branch had just said to this older version of himself, that he didn’t have a Creek, his heart gave a painful lurch, a wave of sickness swept over the prince and a cold dread settled firmly into the pit of his stomach. It appeared that somehow, some way the blue troll had forgotten all about him, as he realised this the purple troll lay his hands against the wall of magic between himself and the blue troll while sadness threatened to drown him. Slowly but surely the purple troll began to realise that very powerful magic was probably involved in all of this somehow. As Creek came to this understand this the dread and sadness he was feeling only grew in strength inside him and the purple prince was left wondering if there was any way he could ever reach the other male troll ever again or undo what ever had been done to him with the magic. 

The purple troll hit the magical wall standing between himself and Branch with all of the strength he had in him but it didn’t give in the slightest, uncaring of this Creek continued to hammer his fists against the barrier between him and the blue troll, and then he yelled out to the other troll with all of his might. “BRANCH!”

The blue troll turned his head in his direction, for once exquisite moment Creek felt hope filling him as the wonderful teal eyes of the other prince touched on him, but then they moved on and the purple troll deflated as hope ran back out of him. “I keep feel like I have forgotten something very important…Sometimes I think I hear a voice calling…I guess it’s just a flight of fancy or my imagination.” Branch said to the older version of himself.

The older blue troll sighed deeply and then said to him. “Don’t lose hope Branch, I don’t want you to share my fate.”

“No offence meant my ancestor, but I have no wish to share it either.” He told the older Branch with a small smile and a chuckle, then the younger blue troll became serious once more and addressed the other blue troll again. “I will make sure to pass your story onto my children when the time comes.”

“Thank you young one. You are the first troll I have been able to talk to in a long time, I think that is because we share names and I worry about you becoming like me.” After the older Branch made this confession the dream Creek had been watching, as well as trying so desperately to get into faded away and the purple troll woke up in his own bed.

The prince lay in bed staring up at the ceiling of his room, he found himself wondering if last night had been a true experience or if it had just been some sort of nightmare based on his fears of what might have happened to Branch after he had left him. Creek decided that he would hold off on his judgment on what was happening just yet and would instead wait to see if this happened to him in his dreams again. Sure enough every time the purple troll would seek Branch out in his dreams, he sometimes couldn’t find the other troll at all and those few times that Creek did manage to locate the blue troll the wall of magic wouldn’t allow him anywhere near Branch or let him be heard by the other male troll either.

When Creek had made the sixth attempt to reach Branch, he as he always did found the magical barrier standing between himself and the other troll, it was at this point that the purple troll resigned himself to the fact that he was most certainly being kept magically away from the blue troll’s dreams. This realisation made unhappiness creep in on Creek, he felt his hopes of ever reaching Branch dying inside of him, and the purple prince could only watch helplessly as his vibrant colours draining out of him as the sadness and depression he felt overwhelmed him. The purple troll knew that this situation was all his fault, he couldn’t reach Branch in his dreams and the mountain kingdom was considered nothing more than a legend, which meant that he had no chance of ever finding the blue trolls home, knowing this Creek knew that he had lost his true love forever.

Seeing their son grey and the way that it had altered his personality to one which was much sadder than it had once been greatly concerned Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer. They both felt sure that the only way they were going to get their son back to the way he had once been, was to bring Branch and him together once more, which meant them somehow locate the kingdom of the mountain trolls. It was Shimmer who came up with an idea of how this goal might be achieved and so he said to his wife in a thoughtful tone of voice. “Perhaps Creek’s fairy godmothers can tell us were the kingdom of the mountain trolls can be found.”

Queen Rosiepuff turned this suggestion from her husband over in her mind for a few moments, she had to admit that his suggestion had merit, it was possible that the fairies might know where the kingdom located. “I think my love you might be right can you summon them to us?”

“Of course.” The King assured the Queen before he called out. “Good fairies who are godmothers to my son we need your aid.”

Together in a shower of multi coloured glitter the four fairies appeared before the two royal trolls, they curtsied to the King and Queen respectfully and then Suki addressed them. “You called for our aid your majesties?”

“We did.” The Queen confirms, before she tells the fairies all of what has happened between Creek and Branch, as well as what had happened to her son. “We are hoping that you can tell us how our son can find his way to the kingdom of the mountain trolls, as we believe that Branch is the only one who can bring our sons colours back and make him happy once more.”

By the time Rosiepuff was at the end of her recounting of all which had occurred the four good fairies were sharing looks of concern, they knew that this was a bad situation and Smidge said. “We can show your son the way to the mountain kingdom, but you must understand that prince Sapphire is under the protection of the King and Queen of the fairies, which may make prince Creek winning him back or breaking any kind of spell difficult.”

“I still want to try.” Said the purple troll appearing from the shadows of one side of the room.

The other trolls in the room turned with surprise to look at the prince, as the four fairies noticed that he was now grey their eyes widened, instantly they all felt terrible for the young troll and they knew that Creek truly did need their help. “Very well prince Creek. We will take you to the kingdom of the mountain trolls, but we will not be able to help you with any magic which has been cast on Branch you will have to resolve any enchantments on him by yourself.”

“I understand. Whatever has happened to Branch because of my stupid actions I shall find a way to undo it.” Creek promised them his voice full of determination.

So it was that the four good fairies, along with Creek set off on the long journey to the mountains were Branch lived. Each night the grey troll as they travelled despite his failures Creek still tried his hardest to reach his true love’s dreams and occasionally he would get to see or hear the blue prince. It was very clear to him that no matter how hard he tried still couldn’t get close to the other troll and that Branch didn’t see or hear him. 

Eventually the mountains came into sight, they were tall, the castle seemed to be born out of the very mountains top itself and Creek looked couldn’t help but look at Branch’s home with awe the castle was utterly amazing. When the purple troll reached the castle entrance, he was met there by King Jade, Queen Iris, King Diamond and Queen Poppy and seeing all of them waiting for him made Creek feel suddenly very nervous. Despite his nerves the purple prince gathered up all of his bravery, he approached them and then Creek bowed to them politely, before addressing all four royals. “I am prince Creek and I have come for Branch.”

It was King Jade stepped forward and spoke to the him in formal tones. “I am King Jade, Branch is my son you have come a long way to find my son I am impressed by your determination prince Creek.”

King Diamond moved to stand beside him and addressed the young prince. “You are the one who caused Branch so much pain, what do you hope to achieve by coming here?”

Creek felt shame bubble up in him as the fairy King said these words to him and he flushed a deeper shade of grey as he spoke to the fairy troll. “I hope to show him I am sorry for my words and beg prince Branch to forgive me for my stupid actions and words.”

Queen Poppy came forward to stand by her husband, while Queen Iris did the same and the pink fairy troll was the one to speak next. “I am sorry prince Creek you have waisted your time Branch does not remember you and we will not let you harm him again.”

As the fairy Queen told him this it confirmed to the grey troll that he had been right about the loss of the other troll’s memories of him. Very slowly Creek got down on his knees, he bent his head forwards and then said in a clear but sad voice. “I did him a great wrong I know that, but I love Branch with all of my heart, losing him has made me realise this. Please at least give me a chance to win his heart once more. I promise on all I hold dear to me that I shall never harm him again.”

As he said this compassion for this younger troll filled Queen Iris, she could see that Creek had been just as badly hurt by his own stupidity as her son had been and so she said firmly to the grey troll. “You may try to win our sons heart as your own once more and see if you can make him remember him. I will have to introduce my son to you as Sapphire. I will tell you this that if you hurt him again we will send you home in shame, do you understand me prince Creek?”

“Thank you for this chance Queen Iris I shall not make you regret it and yes I understand your words completely.” Creek got to his feet as he said these words and meeting the gaze of the older troll he gave her a grateful smile. With a nod the Iris led the purple prince into the castle, the other three royal trolls watched him go with the Queen and as they did so they all hoped with all of their hearts that Creek would keep his promise not to hurt Branch again.


	9. Chapter nine

Chapter nine:

As they entered one of the parts of the castle garden Creek came to a halt, his Branch was sitting on the stone bench in the garden right before him and to his eyes the blue troll looked utterly handsome. Seeing Branch again made the purple troll’s heart thunder in his chest, which just confirmed to him that he really truly loved the other price. The blue troll was sitting reading a book, he was so deeply engrossed in it that Branch had not noticed the other two trolls and so Iris called his attention to them by saying to the mountain prince. “My son, this is prince Creek he has come to visit us. Prince Creek, this is my son prince Sapphire.”

As soon as Branch had heard the name Creek his heart had leapt in his chest, his head had snapped up from the pages of the book and as the blue troll had taken in the grey troll standing nervously at his mother’s side he could help but hope that this might be his Creek. Trying to present some semblance of tranquillity to the other troll the blue prince marked his place in his book, he put it to one side on the stone bench, Branch came up onto his feet and then bowed formally to Creek. “It is a pleasure to meet you prince Creek.”

The purple troll bowed in return and said to him. “It is an honour to meet you to prince Sapphire. What are you reading?”

As he asked this Queen Iris quietly left them alone so that the two princes could to know each other again. The blue troll didn’t notice his mother leave them alone instead he answered this question from the other male troll. “I am reading about my neighbouring kingdoms in preparation to take over as King of the mountain trolls from my father.”

“Oh I had no idea that your father was leaving the throne for you.” Creek said with surprise.

Branch gave him a warm smile, the sight of which made the purple troll want to melt. “It is not uncommon amongst the mountain trolls for the King to retire from the throne before they become too old to rule the kingdom well.”

Grateful for this explanation of mountain troll tradition the grey troll said to him. “I see, my family have always ruled until death, but I can see how retiring would be a good idea before age or bad health became an issue.”

The blue troll found himself very intrigued by the grey troll standing before him, so many questions were going around in his head and so Branch asked him the most obvious of all of the questions on his mind. “May I ask what brings you to our kingdom?”

“You do.” Creek told him honestly, the mountain prince was completely shocked by this simple statement, but before he could say anything to the purple troll, Creek approached the blue troll and gestured at the bench the blue prince was sitting on before he then asked Branch. “May I sit with you?”

“Of course.” As he spoke the mountain prince picked up his book, he placed it to one side and then sat down on the bench making sure to leave room for the other troll to sit next to him.

Creek sat down on the bench beside him, he hated the fact that Branch didn’t remember him in the slightest and the grey prince wished not for the first time that he had not said what he had to him. “So do you read a lot?” The grey troll asked even though he knew the answer to this.  
“Oh yes, I love a good book.” Branch told him with unrestrained enthusiasm.

The purple troll smiled slightly as the other prince said this and then asked him. “Do you play chess?”

The blue troll shook his head at him. “No.”

“May I teach you to play?” Creek asked him gently.

“I’d like that.” Branch said with a wide smile for the other troll.

The purple troll brought his chess set out of his hair, Branch watched closely as the other prince set up the chess set and he was instantly enchanted by the hand carved troll pieces. “How beautiful, may I look at them.”

“Of course.” Creek told him with a smile and an encouraging nod.

Branch picked up each of the different pieces to look at each one, they were very detailed, each one was made to look like a different kind of troll and he always carefully placed them back on the board after he looked at them. “So which pieces are which and what do I do with them?”

With a smile Creek told him the name of each one of the pieces and then told him what moves they could make on the board. After this explanation, the two trolls began to play their first game together outside of dreams, and the purple troll couldn’t help but hope that by playing chess together as they had done so many times in their dream meetings it might help to wake some of the memories that Branch had lost. It soon became clear to Creek though that as much as the blue troll was enjoying their game of chess, he didn’t recall playing it with him before now and this left the purple prince wondering what he might be able to try next to help Branch recall their time together and his feelings for him.

Creek was very sad that he couldn’t call Branch by his birth name and had to call him by his adult name of Sapphire instead, but he felt that he didn’t deserve to be able to use his birth name just yet. Finding out that he was only one of many suitors for the hand of the mountain prince had made him feel like the biggest fool to have ever lived. Over the next days and weeks, the two trolls spent a lot of time together getting to know each other, Creek was happy that they had slowly become friends once more, but at the same time the purple troll was extremely upset that no matter what he tried during this time that Branch remembered nothing of him and that the true love of the blue troll was lost to him.

One evening Creek found Branch looking out of a window watching the sunset, he was singing to himself, it was the first time that the purple prince had ever heard him singing and Creek had to admit that the blue troll had the most amazing voice which he had ever heard. When Branch finished singing the other prince walked over to him, Creek stood next to him and then said in a very soft voice. “You have a wonderful voice.”

“Thank you Creek…I’m very curious about what turned you grey…Will you tell me what happened to you?” Branch asked him as gently as was possible.

The grey troll gulped and then answered the question. “I made a huge mistake…I lost a troll I loved with all my heart. I was such a blind fool…”

Creek jumped with surprise as Branch’s hand took hold of his and gave it a gentle squeeze. “I’m sure were ever he is, the one who loved you forgives you for what you did to him.” 

The grey prince shook his head and said to the other prince. “I hurt him so badly I don’t think I deserve to be forgiven by him. If I could see him again I’d apologise and…” Creek stopped talking he let out a small derisive chuckle. “There I go again, thinking it’s all about me, but it’s not…I hurt him very badly and I shouldn’t be expecting anything from him.”

After a few moments of silence, the blue troll then said to the other prince. “There is a saying amongst my people which goes we live and we learn.”

Creek turned his grey blue eyes onto the troll at his side and found the bright teal eyes of Branch focused on him. “There is a lot of truth to that saying. I will have to leave to return to my own country soon, but I am glad we met and I will miss you.”

“I will miss you too and I am happy we met. May I write to you after you go home?” Branch asked him blushing slightly as he did so.

“I’d enjoy that very much Sapphire.” To Creek it felt wonderful just to be able to hold hands with Branch, and as soon as the blue troll took his hand from his the purple prince felt bereft. As Creek turned his gaze back towards the setting sun before him, the purple troll took Branch’s hand into his once more and an idea came to the him. “Sapphire could I ask you to do something for me?”

The mountain prince looked down at their joined hands and then back to the purple troll standing next to him. Holding hands with the other prince like this made Branch feel warm and happy inside, but at the same time as he felt this the blue troll also felt sad that the other troll despite being called Creek had already found a troll to call his own. “Well it would depend on what it is you want me to do for you.”

“It is a bit of an odd request and I will understand if you say no, but tonight after the rest of the castle is asleep would you come to my room, there is something very important I want to show you.” The purple troll told him his voice very serious as he made this request of the other troll.  
The blue troll was silent with thought for a few moments, Branch couldn’t see any harm in his request even if as Creek said it was a little strange and so he said to the other troll. “Alright Creek I can do that.”

“Thank you.” As he said this Creek took his hand out of the mountain prince’s and walked away from him down the corridor. Branch turned to watch the other troll, he had been glad to find a friend in the other troll, but at the same time the blue troll had found himself slowly falling in love with the other troll. Branch hadn’t said anything to Creek about this, but he was glad he had not now that he knew why the other troll was grey.

When the grey troll lay down in bed that night he hoped and prayed that his plan would work, because he couldn’t help but feel that if Branch seeing him asleep didn’t bring back the memories of the mountain prince then he didn’t know what would. Creek closed his eyes and then let himself drift off to sleep, a short while later the door to the room of the grey troll opened and Branch stepped into the room. As soon as the blue troll saw the other troll laying there in the bed bathed in the silver light of the moon everything inside him came to a stop and he felt like he had seen this somewhere before. Branch walked over to the side of the bed, as the blue troll looked down at the other prince laying there fast asleep he suddenly remembered were he had seen this before and Branch’s teal blue eyes went wide. The heart of the mountain prince suddenly started to thunder in his chest, now he knew why he hadn’t been able to love any other troll he had been truly in love with the troll laying in the bed in front of him. Branch felt fairly sure that he knew what Creek wanted him to do, so he closed his eyes and gently pressed his lips to those of the sleeping grey troll.

When lips found his Creek’s grey blue eyes flew open, as soon as he found it was Branch kissing him as he had hoped, the grey troll started to kiss him back, running his fingers into the royal blue hair of the other troll. As Branch broke this kiss and opened his eyes to look at the other troll, the grey prince kept his fingers in the hair of the mountain prince and then said to him. “I love you! I love you Branch I truly do and I’m sorry, so very sorry for everything I said my true love.”

“Creek you came all this way for me…?” Branch asked him in an awed voice.

The grey troll gently took his hands from the hair of the other troll as he said. “Of course! How could I not? You made the same journey to free me. Can you forgive me for what I said to you Branch?”

“I forgive you Creek and I still love you…That was why I could never give my heart to another troll all of it already belonged to you.” After he said this Branch slipped into bed beside Creek, the grey prince turned over in the bed to face him, after Creek had done this the mountain prince kissed him on the lips again, closing his eyes as he did so and wrapping his arms firmly around the grey troll. Quickly the grey prince kissed him back, he closed his eyes and carried on kissing the blue troll while he returned the embrace of Branch. Branch kissing him, forgiving him and still loving him with all of his heart, made Creek feel hope and happiness filling him for the first time in a long time. Slowly the two trolls broke their second kiss, when their eyes met the eyes of the blue troll widened, he smiled softly at Creek as happiness made its way through him and then Branch said to him. “It’s good to see your colours have come back my love.”

The purple prince’s eyes went wide, he removed one of his arms from around the blue troll to look at it and as he did so Creek gasped with shock because it was clear to see that the other troll was right, he had found his colours once more. The purple troll didn’t say a word, he smiled widely at the other prince feeling absolute joy flooding through him as he had not only found his colours again, but also had his true love at his side once more. Creek put his hand to the back of Branch’s head, he pulled him in for a third kiss, this kiss was much deeper and harder than the first two had been. This kiss elicited a moan from the blue troll who drew the bedsheets up over the two of them and then began to return this kiss more than happy to get lost in it.


	10. Chapter ten

Chapter ten:

The next morning the two trolls lay in bed together, holding each other in a warm embrace and after a while Creek said to Branch. “I could see you in my dreams…But I could never reach you it was torture, but it also made me realise how much I loved you and missed you. I saw you talking to the older you in some of your dreams…I have to admit I am curious about him and what happened to him.”

“King Branch you mean…His is a sad story.” Branch said his voice soft and tinted with sadness. “My father only told me his story when I returned home from saving you…” The voice of the blue troll trailed off, he shook his head and then said very sadly. “King Branch has waited a long time for his Creek…”

“Will you tell me the story some day?” Creek asked him gently, the purple troll had to admit he was extremely curious about this other Branch and what had happened to him.

The blue troll thought about this request from his true love for a few moments and then nodded. “Yes, I will tell you that story at some point in the future. I promised him that I would tell my children his story to…”

Wanting to distract the one he loved from what were clearly sad thoughts Creek said to him. “I’m so glad you have found your memories of me once more, I hated the fact you didn’t know me at all… but at the same time I could understand why you didn’t want to remember me.” 

“There is something I should tell you…” Branch admitted his voice soft as a deep blue blush spread over his cheeks.

As he noticed that the mountain prince was blushing, Creek felt both concern and curiosity waking within him and asked the one he loved. “What is it?”

Hearing the concern in the other troll’s voice, Branch gave Creek a short hug before saying to him on a firm voice. “What I have to tell you is nothing bad my love so don’t worry. I wanted to tell you that even though my mind had forgotten you my heart had not forgotten you and I found that no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t love another. I also want you to know that although I may not have remembered you Creek, I fell in love with you all over again.”

As the mountain prince confessed this to him, Creek’s eyes widened, awe filled him, accompanied by the warmth of happiness, all the purple prince could manage to stutter out was. “You…I…Branch…” The purple troll’s eyes filled with tears, he slammed him lips to those of his true love, who let out a huff of surprise, before he then began to return this passionate kiss. Both trolls loved kissing like this it was utterly wonderful as far as they were concerned and kissing each other felt so right to them that neither Branch or Creek wanted it to stop, but eventually they had to break apart for air. When they did so the two male trolls were both panting for air, but grinning at each other like fools at the same time. 

“I take it that means you don’t mind my little secret this time?” Branch asked Creek with a cheeky smile on his lips.

“No, I don’t mind it in the slightest!” The purple troll told him with a huge smile on his face and then said with a shake of the head. “I can’t believe that you fell in love with me all over again.”

“I can believe it…Poppy once explained to me that I was born with a heart and soul which held true love for yours and that this would always be the case. I think Poppy was also trying to tell me that this love would also exist in those Creek’s and Branch’s who will come after us.”

Creek gave him a nod of agreement. “Yes I think you are right. May I visit your ancestor…I know I am not his Creek, but I want to see him and tell King Branch something that I think will be important to him.”

“I will take you to see him today if you like.” As he said this Branch got up out of bed and then turned back towards Creek saying to him. “I will go and get ready for the day, we can eat breakfast together and then go to see King Branch if you wish.”

“I would like that very much, but before you go…” Creek got out of the bed, he stood in front of Branch, he lay his hands onto the chest of the mountain prince and then placed his lips to those of the other troll in a gentle kiss. Branch kissed him back, gently but firmly, after a few moments the two trolls broke the kiss, they shared a smile and then the blue troll left the one he truly loved to get ready for the day ahead.

When the two princes came into the dining room for breakfast a short while later, they were instantly noticed by Queen Iris, King Jade, King Diamond and Queen Poppy. With one look, all four of these royal trolls could tell that something between the two princes had changed for the better. As Branch took Creek’s hand into his, the four older trolls smiled at them and after a few moments of silence it was King Jade who spoke to his son. “Have you remembered Branch?”

“Yes father I remember everything and I have forgiven Creek because I still love him with all of my heart.” As he said this Branch tightened his hold on the hand of the purple troll at his side.

Iris instantly noticed this and smiled at them. “Do not worry son, we will not part you, after all our family knows well enough that no Branch should be without his Creek.”

“Speaking of my ancestor Creek wishes to see him, I am going to take Creek to him after breakfast.” The prince told them.

After her said this the King and Queen of the mountain both gave him nods and then Jade said very seriously to Creek. “Do not touch the sword at his side, you are not of the royal blood of the mountains and only those of our family can touch the blade in safety.”

“I understand King Jade and I shall make sure not to touch the sword.” After he said this to the King the two princes ate their breakfast and when this was done they left the dining room side by side to go and visit the older Branch. 

The blue troll led the other prince through the castle to the volt, then out of this room by a well hidden door to one side of the room. Creek looked around this garden, it was beautiful and clearly well tended, Branch led him into a clearing in the garden and the purple troll gasped at the sight of the older Branch. He wore long leaf green robes, decorated with a golden intricate celtic knot work pattern which covered all of the green robe. Around his brow was a golden circlet in the form of leafy branches, from which hung golden chains with blue sparking gems at their ends and by his side lay the magical sword of the royal mountain family. 

Slowly Creek knelt down in the grass by the side of the King, his Branch joined him, and the purple troll took the younger blue troll’s hand into his before he addressed the older Branch. “Hello King Branch. I asked my Branch to let me see you…I know that you have been worried about him because of my words and actions…I want you to know that I will never hurt him again I promise you that. In fact I would like you to be a witness to something.” Creek turned to Branch, he took his hand out of that of the blue troll, the purple prince brought out from under his shirt the gold crown rings on their chain. The purple troll unfastened the chain, he gently slipped one of the rings off of the chain, fastened it back up around his neck, and then held the gold crown ring out towards Branch as he asked him. “My true love, will you marry me?”

The mountain prince smiled widely at Creek, he felt like his heart was about to explode from happiness as the purple troll asked him this question and so Branch said to him with great joy in his voice. “I would be honoured to marry you.” The purple troll smiled back at the other prince, he felt both happy and relieved that the one he loved had accepted his proposal of marriage. Gently Creek took Branch’s left hand into his left and then carefully slipped the golden crown ring onto his middle finger. 

After Creek had done this, the blue troll gently took hold of the chain on which was the remaining golden crown ring and addressed the other prince. “May I have this ring so I can place it onto your engagement finger?”

“Of course.” Without hesitating the purple troll took the ring off of his chain, he handed it across to Branch, before he handed the crown ring over to the blue troll. The mountain prince took Creek’s left hand into his right and gently put the gold ring onto the middle finger of the other prince. Once he had done this Branch met his gaze, he smiled softly at the purple troll and then he said to him gently but firmly. “I am always and ever yours, no matter the time and the distance Creek I promise you that. My heart and soul belong to you, and only you because I love you with all that I am.”

Slowly Creek smiled at him, hearing his say those words to him made the purple troll feel ecstatic and the purple prince knew that the one he loved meant every one of those wonderful words. In return for those heartfelt words Creek lifted the left hand of the blue troll and kissed the ring causing it to glow with purple light and then said to him. “Thank you for saying that Branch, and I know you mean those words. I look forward to marrying you my true love.” The purple troll turned his grey blue eyes back to the older Branch and then he spoke to him quite sure of the fact that the King could hear him. “I may not know your story or what happened to you, but I know that your Creek is out there somewhere and will come to you.”

After he had said this to this older Branch the two prince’s came up onto their feet, they left the clearing which contained the enchanted troll and went to tell their good news to the blue trolls parents as well as to the King and Queen of the fairies. The four older trolls were extremely happy to hear that the two princes were now betrothed, Creek felt sure that his mother and father would also be very happy to hear that he was going to marry his true love. The purple troll wrote to his mother and father about his betrothal to Branch, and when their response to his letter arrived it was as warm and accepting as Creek had hoped it would be. The meeting of the two royal families went extremely well, both sets of parents liked their future son in laws and they were glad to see their son happy with the one who was their true love. With this letter of acceptance from Creek’s parents the betrothal of the two prince’s was formally announced in both kingdoms and was the cause of much celebration in the two countries.

 

Queen Rosiepuff and King Shimmer had made their way to the mountain kingdom, after some discussion between the two royal families, it had been decided that Branch would become King of the mountains and that Creek would rule at his side. As for the kingdom of Magic the King and Queen of the fairies supplied them with a special pare of bracelets which would allow them to travel there in the blink of an eye as and when they needed to, so that they could rule this kingdom to.

Thanks to the organisation skills of the three Queens the wedding of the two princes took place only three months after their betrothal was announced, the wedding was held in Creek’s home castle, this location had been settled on after a long discussion between the two male trolls. In order to honour Branch’s home country, the purple prince had insisted that King Jade be the one to perform their wedding ceremony. The blue troll had also had part of the mountain trolls wedding tradition worked into their wedding, but he refused to tell Creek what this was claiming that what was going to happen was a surprise for him.

On the day of the wedding Creek stood at the top of the aisle waiting for Branch with a mixture of happiness and nervousness inside him. The purple prince was dressed in exactly what he had been wearing during his sleep, in his hair he wore one of the magical blue roses from the rose garden, and Creek couldn’t help, but hope that Branch would like the fact he had worn these clothes again. Then suddenly the blue troll was walking towards him, and the purple prince was sure his heart was going to jump out of his chest at the sight of his true love. Gone were his normal clothes, they were replaced with a smart well fitted blue suite which shimmered in the light as he walked and in his hair was one of the purple roses. When Branch reaches Creek, Jade takes his sons left hand in his, he then takes the purple trolls left hand and carefully joins their hands together. The King of the mountains then drew out of his pocket two cords one of gold and one of silver, he wound them around each other, once this is done Jade then wraps them around their hands binding the two princes together with them.

Creek looked at their now bound hands, though he had never been taught what this meant the purple troll had a fair idea that this signals them being bound together and he is both stunned and thrilled by this idea. The purple troll looked at Branch with wide grey blue eyes and the other prince smiled back at him serenely which helped to calm the purple troll. Jade called the attention of Creek back to him by saying. “The thread of fate binds you together, true love joins your hearts together, your souls are bound together they always have been and always will be.”

Slowly Branch started to glow blue, Creek watched with wide eyes as the silver cord glowed blue with him, the light slowly wound up around his arm up to his shoulder, which causing the purple troll to gasp in awe and then the blue troll called his attention back to him as Branch said to him in a firm voice. “All of my being is yours, I am willingly bound to you now and always, for this life and all those beyond it. I Branch, Sapphire Mountain-mist take you Creek Dawn-song to by my husband and my consort from this day forward, I promise that I will care for you, protect you and love you always.”

After he said these words the purple prince started to glow purple, he watched the light flow down, it swept along the golden thread, and then curled around the blue trolls arm all the way up to his shoulder. Creek met Branch’s bright teal eyes with his own grey blue eyes, he could feel the bond between them growing stronger which felt wonderful to him, the purple troll smiled at the other price and then spoke to him. “I Creek Dawn-song take you Branch Sapphire Mountain-mist to be my husband, and my consort from this day forward. All of my being is yours, I am willingly bound to you now and always, for this life time and all those beyond it. I promise that I will care for you, protect you and love you always.”

After these vows were made, Jade untied their hands, the threads were now wound together tightly around each other and could not be taken apart again. Jade handed these threads to Branch, he took them from his father with a smile, he stepped towards Creek, gestured at his hair and then said gently to the one he loved. “May I?”

Though the purple prince was unsure what Branch was going to do, but he decided to trust him and so Creek gave the other troll a nod of permission. The blue troll took some of his hair into his hands and then started to braid the gold and silver thread into the left side of Creek’s hair. When this was done Branch released the hair which instantly stood back up to join the rest and the mountain prince then said in formal tones. “This is the sign to all of the trolls that you are mine.”

Creek reached up he gently ran his fingers over the braid in his hair, he had to admit that he loved the idea that with one look all the trolls who saw him would know he was Branch’s and then said to the blue troll. “I thank you for this sign to all of the other trolls I am glad they will all know I am yours.”

The blue troll smiled at his true love it made him very happy to hear that his new husband liked the braid in his hair. Branch then took one of Creek’s hands into his, together they walked back down the aisle, all the guests of the wedding followed behind the couple into the ballroom of the castle. As the newly married couple entered the ballroom the orchestra was waiting for them there, when they saw the two princes they started to play a waltz. It was to this music that Branch and Creek made their way out into the centre of the dancefloor and they started to dance the waltz together, their eyes locked on each other as they did so.

 

Five years later:

The blue troll was very happy in his marriage to Creek, he always took the opportunity to make sure that his husband knew he loved him with all of his heart. Their daughter was born a year after they were married, they had named her Poppy for the fairy Queen who with her husband was her fairy god parents. Creek was also very happy being married to his true love, he made sure to tell Branch he loved him every single day and the blue troll always returned these words of love. The two male trolls were devoted to their young daughter, they raised her with love and taught her all about their two kingdoms.

Branch who was now King of the mountain trolls was sitting on one of the stone benches in the castle garden reading, Creek walked up to him, carrying their four year old daughter Poppy on his hip and said to his husband. “Here you are beloved.”

“Papa!” Poppy called out with joy her blue eyes fixed on him.

At the sound of their voices the blue toll looked up from his book, as it always did the sight of his true love and their lavender skinned and royal blue haired daughter filled Branch with absolute joy and so he asked with a large smile on his face. “Hello my husband. How are you doing today?” Branch asked this question with concern and let his eyes drift down to the bump of their second child growing inside his husband.

Hearing his husbands concern for him in his voice, Creek instantly sought to reassure him by saying to the other troll. “I and the baby are doing just fine Branch so try not to worry about me too much my love. There is something I wanted to ask you today.”

These words made the mountain King curious and so he asked. “Oh what is that?”

“I was very much hoping that you would be willing to finally tell Poppy and myself the story of King Branch.” As Creek said this he sat on the stone bench beside the blue troll and settled their daughter into his lap as he did so.

Branch quickly gave Poppy a kiss on the forehead, he gave Creek a quick peck on the lips and then gave his true love a nod. “Yes, I think you are right it is time I told Poppy and you his story. Well then let’s see once upon a time long ago…”

 

Deep within the dark castle of Darkness were the shadows were longest and the last as well as the strongest parts of her magic were to be found finally faded away into nothing. A clear crystal cracked around the shape of a male purple troll who lay within it held by chains and manacles of dark magic. These restraints dissolved from his body, the crystal cracked again and as this happened his grey blue eyes shot open. Purple light rippled out of the male troll shattering the crystal completely, quickly the purple troll sat up as he did so his hair bright blue at the base and green at the top caught the light coming through the one window of the room, the purple troll took a deep breath and then he yelled out with all of his might. “BRANCH!”


End file.
